Over My Dead Body
by PersianFreak
Summary: It takes a lot to surprise a couple as old as Eric & Sookie. It's a rare occurence, but when it happens, everything goes to hell. Sequel to 'Happily Never After'.
1. Chapter 1

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T, possibly M for later chapters

A/N: I know, I know, I have to write another story but this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone and I couldn't help myself. As is tradition, the first chapter is very short because I want to see what you guys think (so please let me know what you guys think) before I write the rest of the story.

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My life had never been easy or predictable, so one might think that I would have seen it coming. I could have saved myself a whole lot of trouble if I had, but as I have to point out way too often for my liking, I am _not_ psychic.

It was a good night. I could tell because the cool breeze that blew was the perfect temperature and the moon was full. I could tell because my birthday was a mere week away and judging by the hints he was so casually dropping, Eric had big plans for me, and I could tell because after over two hundred years of living (or not living; how ever you want to look at it) the way I had, there isn't much that goes wrong that cannot be fixed. But _you_ already know something bad is going to happen, because that's what you get when you become overconfident in life.

Fangtasia was having a typical night; not too empty but not over-flowing either. I was sitting beside Eric, leaning slightly into him on our throne when I felt his mind do a freefall.

"What?" I followed his gaze and found nothing out of the ordinary; just the typical mix of humans and vampires. "What is it?"

"Runa," His voice was a mere whisper and his eyes were still glued to what I now saw was a woman. That monster called Jealousy reared its ugly head and took her in.

"Runa?" I frowned. I tested the way it rolled off my tongue; sure that I had heard it before and that it should mean something to me I studied the woman; she was beautiful, breathtakingly so. Her hair was lighter than mine and fell in thick waves down her back, her blazing blue eyes darker than both mine and Eric's; so dark, in fact, that were it not for the occasional flashes of light in the bar, I would have mistaken them for black. She stood slightly taller than me, her low-cut dress shimmering invitingly on her lean body as she calmly took in the Shreveport nightlife. Eric's mental grasp on the situation was destroyed as her extracted fangs caught the light a mere second before her eyes met my husband's.

"Eric?" I nudged him, finally turning my head to see him wearing the most perplexed expression I had ever seen him wear, "Eric?" Jealousy gave up then, and was quickly replaced by his second cousin, Desperation. I decided to snoop, opening the bond and cautiously probing Eric's mind, quickly regretting the decision altogether. His mind was a whirlwind of memories of a woman identical to the one in the bar; smiling at him, dressed beautifully in white at a wedding, making love to him- I winced and pulled back; I definitely did not need to see that. The woman -Runa, my mind corrected- was now walking towards us, casually making her way through the crowd.

"Sheriff," she inclined her head, her eyes never leaving Eric's, and I watched as his returned the favour.

_'Eric?' _I changed tactics and decided to send him my thoughts.

_'Sookie...' _His mindvoice was faint, _'It's her. It's my wife.'_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T, possibly M for later chapters

A/N: Alright, so I forgot to write 'Companion to _Happily Never After_' on the last chapter, which was a big oopsy on my part. To all those who haven't read my previous stories (_Life Goes On, Surprise, Happily Never After,_ as well as the little one-shots), I suggest you take a moment to go back and read chapter 2 of _Surprise_ at the very least in order to gain some understanding of this story and have some of your basic questions answered.

Now, as you may have guessed, I've decided to continue with this story, so here's chapter 2; I hope you enjoy it, but let me know what you think even if you don't :)

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No.

No way.

I could kick myself for not recognizing her name sooner. How could I not? 'Runa' as in Eric's first love, Runa. 'Runa' as in Eric's first wife, Runa. 'Runa' as in- I bit the inside of my lip and forced myself to finish the thought- 'Runa' as in Eric's _human_ wife, Runa. Runa, who was now staring into my husband's (her husband? No, _my_ husband, dammit!) eyes like they held everything she could ever want. My thoughts were such a tangled mess that even I couldn't make sense of them. So many questions; enough to smother me until I suffocated in my own mess of thoughts. '_How can she be a vampire?'_ was a big one, so was '_Why didn't she come looking for him sooner?',_ the latter of which was quickly followed by '_Why come for him at all, after twelve hundred years?'_.

"Don't you remember me?" She smiled, cocking her head to the side.

"How could I forget you, Runa?" The name fell from his lips uncertainly.

"Ah," Her smile brightened and I suppressed the urge to smack it off of her flawless face, "I was worried you had forgotten about me after all these years."

"Could you have blamed me?" A small sardonic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "After all, I haven't seen you in over a thousand years. You are supposed to be dead."

"So are you," She quipped back lightly.

"True enough,"

"So, are you going to introduce us, Eiríkr?" Her eyes flicked over to me, and I hated her even more for using Eric's old name. "Don't tell me the New World has made you forget your manners."

"Runa, meet my wife, Sookie," His voice lacked inflection, and I looked at him curiously, slightly comforted by his kind smile at me. "Sookie, I've told you about Runa."

"Hello," I nodded at her and she returned it.

"Wife?" She gauged my appearance, "I should have known you would not stay single for long." _Tell her, Eric, _I thought to myself, _Tell her I'm not just anyone; that you love me; that you never felt this way about anyone before me; that you love me more than her._

Eric made an assenting noise and I gritted my teeth against the pain of the dagger that had just sunk into my heart.

"Why are you here, Runa?" Uncertainty flashed briefly across her features.

"Well, you see, I was in Stockholm, and I heard the story of a vampire who was on trial because he murdered a king in the US," She smiled sweetly at him, "Which inclined me to wonder who would be quite so foolish as to commit such an act; the answer was you. I could barely believe it, but all the signs lead me to believe that it was really you. So I came to see for myself." She paused to take in Eric's reaction (there was none) before continuing. "And also, I needed permission for temporary residence in your area, Sheriff, so if you wouldn't mind..." Runa waited, her eyes still sparkling with her seemingly chronic happiness.

"You have my permission," Eric casually surveyed the crowd, "However, vampires in my Area are given specific responsibilities; Pamela will tell you what they are." Pam stepped unto the platform with impeccable timing and coolly took Runa in. I briefly wondered if she knew who this woman was; if Eric had told her about his first wife, but figured she would bug me about the details sooner or later.

"It was great seeing you again, Eiríkr," She inclined her head, "And it was nice meeting you, Sookie." Eric's wife (_ex-_wife, my mind corrected viciously) beamed at me before being ushered away by Pam.

"Excuse me," I muttered the moment she was out of sight, "I have work to do."

"Sookie," I heard him get up after me and follow as I made my way to my office. "Sookie, what-" He sighed lightly and I continued to ignore him. Having reached the office, I headed inside and sat behind my desk, studiously avoiding my husband's gaze from where he had settled himself on the couch across from me.

"Stackhouse," He frowned at me; he only called me by my maiden name when he was frustrated or angry.

"Don't 'Stackhouse' me, Eric," I snapped without looking up.

"I didn't know she was alive,"

"I know."

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing, Eric," I rummaged around for some papers, "Can you please just leave?" I looked up long enough to see his eyes cool before he turned away and walked out, closing the door a little more loudly than necessary. I took a moment to bury my face in my hands before going back to work.

***

"Are you coming home or do you want me to go ahead?" Eric asked expressionlessly from the door a few hours later.

"Yeah, give me a minute?" I tried to smile but he was already gone. We didn't speak at all on the way home, the silence all but suffocating me as we both avoided the elephant in the room named Runa.

"Eric?" I asked quietly as he settled himself under the covers.

"Yes?"

"Nothing." I rolled away from him and buried my face in the pillow, pretending that the day had claimed me long before it actually had.

***

"You're going?" Eric was fully dressed and rummaging around for his car keys.

"You're the one who has the night off, Sookie," He shot me a small smile.

"I know," I sat on a bar stool and watched him search under the couch cushions, and then under the couch itself, "I just wish you did, too." He stopped and raised an eyebrow at me.

"I thought you were mad at me."

"I am. I mean, I'm not, but..." I sighed, "I don't know. I want to know why she's here. Why she's... alive."

"Technically, she isn't."

"She isn't dead, which is what she's supposed to be." I snapped.

"Believe me, Sookie, I intend to find out."

"And then what?" I busied myself with my fingernails.

"And then what?" He repeated in a puzzled tone, coming to stand in front of me.

"What are you going to do when you find out why your wife is here?"

"_Ex_-wife," He corrected and I could hear the frown in his voice, "You are my wife."

"Neither of you died;" I examined a chip in the blue nail polish, "Neither of you filed for divorce. What does that leave your marriage?"

"Annulled by anyone's standards," Eric remarked and I chuckled.

"I don't want her anywhere near you," My voice was calm and controlled and I congratulated myself on hiding what I really wanted to say, which would be a long string of vulgarities shrieked at a high pitch.

"Sookie," He was back to frowning.

"You hate it when I'm around Bill," I pointed out, "And besides, she loves you."

"No, she does not," Eric argued, "She hasn't seen me in twelve hundred years, Sookie."

"And yet she travelled all this way to find you."

"Because she was my wife, Sookie!" He looked frustrated, and the bond was pulsating with the emotion. "She carried my child."

"Twelve hundred years ago, Eric," I threw his words back at him and scoffed, shaking his head. "There isn't much I'm right about, not when you have so many years on me, but as a woman, Eric, trust me when I say that she loves you as much as she did when you were human." He regarded me for a long moment before nodding once.

"I have to go to Fangtasia." I nodded and he bent down to kiss me, chuckling a little when I pulled him closer and deepened the kiss.

"I love you, too," I looked into his eyes to make sure he understood me, "I love you more than anything, and if she so much as touches you, I will stake her ass myself."

"I will be sure to mention what happened to Lorena if I happen to see her, then," He grinned and kissed me again. "And I love you, too, my little telepath. Nothing can change that."

The phone rang within a minute of him leaving.

"Pam?" I answered after glancing at the caller ID.

"He's going to be here soon, so talk fast." She ordered.

"What do you want me to say?" I frowned in confusion.

"Who is she?" I grinned at her frustration before launching into the story.

"Did you know she was a vampire?" She asked when I was done, clearly filled with glee; Pam loved drama.

"No," I plopped down onto the couch, "I had no clue."

"He's here, I have to go!" She gasped suddenly, "I'm sure everything will be fine." There was a soft click as Pam hung up on me and I chuckled at how much of a teenager she still was after all these years before going back to sulking; as much as I wished she could be right, there was a part of me that doubted things would just work themselves out.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T, possibly M for later chapters

A/N: Hey! Chapter three!!! I wanted to thank you all for the awesome reviews that make my day, and I just wanted to let you know that even if I don't respond, you can be sure that I have read every single one and that they have all made me (at the very least) grin like a fool. MORE REVIEWS ARE AWESOME, plz.

Note: Derek is a character I introduced in the epilogue of 'Surprise', but Christine is all new.

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"Hello, sheriff," The voice greeted me smoothly. My head snapped up from the papers in my hand to take in the woman casually sitting on my desk.

"Runa," I frowned at her, "Apparently I'm going to have to speak with Pam about letting unwanted visitors into my office."

"Eric," She chastised lightly and I automatically flashed back to a time when I had joked about wanting twenty children and she had shaken her head and said my name in that exact tone.

"Don't you want to know why I'm alive?" She smiled at me softly. Everything she did was soft, mild; as if there was nothing fierce or bold about her, save for her eyes.

"But you aren't," I couldn't help but point out, just as I had to Sookie. Her name brought reality crashing down on me: Sookie, my lover, my wife.

"Don't you want to know why I'm not dead?" She rephrased the question, her foot moving casually to some rhythm heard only by her.

"Why are you not dead?" I took the bait and walked to sit behind my desk, forcing her to get off of it in order to keep me in sight.

"I don't know," She shrugged, amusement dancing in her eyes. I waited, my eyebrow raised. "There was a plague, about five years after you... left." She smiled and was about to continue when she caught me nodding. "You saw. You didn't leave." It was not a question but I nodded and gestured for her to continue. "I was far from lucid, thanks to the fever, so I don't remember who turned me. I remember the pain and the darkness after, but not who it was. I was alone, lying in a boat headed out to sea when I awoke."

"Your maker never Called you?" I frowned; creating children without educating them in the ways of the vampire was frowned upon. A newborn vampire with no knowledge of his or her limits and abilities could be disastrous to our kind as a whole, especially in the days before the Great Revelation. Runa shook her head.

"But I didn't turn out too badly." Her smile widened, "I survived, against all odds."

"Yes, you did." I murmured absentmindedly.

"You don't sound too pleased about that."

"I'm not pleased about you barging into my life after all these years."

"Ouch," She made a show of looking hurt, "Because you have a wife now?" I did not respond, opting instead for looking into her eyes. "Are you afraid you will fall in love with me again?" Sookie's words flashed across my mind; _"She loves you as much as she did when you were human." _I wondered for perhaps the thousandth time that night about the amount of truth her words held. Could Runa still be in love with me? Despite all the years we had spent apart?

"There is no chance of that happening," I dismissed her comment.

"And why not?" Her tone was light, her smile still genuine. "Do you _love_ her?" I chose to ignore her, deeming her opinion of my marriage entirely too inconsequential and therefore unworthy of a response.

"Are you at least going to tell me how you were turned?"

"I didn't realize it was story time."

"I told you mine!" I smiled inwardly at her clearly growing frustration.

"That was your choice," I selected a file from a pile on my desk and opened it, busying myself with its contents. "Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do."

"Excuse me, master?" I looked up to find Pam standing at the door. Runa's head snapped towards her with a hint of annoyance.

"What is it, Pam?" Note to self: give Pam a raise.

"Christine Langdon is here for you." My child informed me unhappily. I raised an eyebrow.

"Show her in," I looked pointedly at Runa who sighed.

"Good-bye," She brushed past Pam before pausing in the hall, "For now, that is." Christine appeared in the doorway a moment later, nodding to me as she did.

"No, Pam, you should stay," Christine told her just as she turned to leave. Pam nodded and stepped in, closing the door behind her.

"Can Pam get you a drink?" I motioned that she should have a seat on the couch as I moved to sit on the armchair next to it. Christine Langdon was Queen Marie's very well-respected second-in-command. She herself was more than fit to govern a state of her own, but had chosen to remain in Nevada with Marie out of sheer loyalty; the story was that Marie had saved Christine from the clutches of a murderous suitor several centuries ago, which had led to Christine pledging her (literally) undying loyalty to her maker after she was turned.

"Not tonight, Eric," She said primly, perching on the edge of the couch. Pam came to stand beside me.

"What can I do for you?"

"I understand you were planning on not attending the Equinox Ball on Friday?" I nodded; Sookie and I had decided against it considering Sookie's birthday on the following Monday and the trip I was planning in her honour. "The queen has requested your presence, Eric," Christine told me, "Both of you, in fact, as well as your wife and any other vampires whom you trust."

"Not that I don't enjoy seeing you, Christine," I grinned at her charmingly, "But to what do I owe the pleasure of such a formal summoning?"

"I am not at liberty to say," The corner of her mouth turned up in the smallest hint of a smile, "But you are requested to report to Las Vegas within the next 24 hours. I have already made your travel arrangements; your coffins will be picked up at noon, so I will need the addresses of the vampires you will bring with you."

"Pam," I turned my head and she stepped forward, "Give her our addresses as well as Derek and Bill's, then call them to let them know." She nodded and went to my desk to write down the addresses. "Anything else?" I turned back to Christine.

"That will be all," She shook her head, standing up to take the piece of paper Pam was now offering her. "I will see you all in Las Vegas tomorrow night." I inclined my head. I left Fangtasia soon after, not quite caring that it was barely ten. Sookie was going to be rather unhappy about this and I needed time to make her happy. Very happy. I grinned to myself as I drove well past the speed limit.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M

A/N: Yay, chapter 4! Reviews are love :D

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"Don't you know it's dangerous lying out here on your own, little girl?" A low voice murmured above me as I lay by the lake in our 'backyard'. My eyes snapped open to find Eric floating above me, parallel to the ground. Leering, he lowered himself until he was lying on his side beside me on the blanket I had laid out with one leg thrown over mine.

"You're home early," I smiled.

"You smell like cleaning products," He shook his head in mock disappointment, "You cleaned the entire house, didn't you?"

"I was bored," I murmured, closing my eyes at the feel of his lips pressing against my neck. "And you smell like Runa." He pulled back to look at me.

"She came to Fangtasia," His voice was softly apologetic, the cool breeze blowing his hair into his face. I tucked it behind his ear and waited patiently as the jealousy monster ran rampant inside me. "She was turned when she was close to death by someone she doesn't know."

"She doesn't know her maker?" I frowned, distracted by the mystery of the Unknown Maker.

"No." He turned his face and kissed the palm of my hand.

"Isn't that against the rules?" I stroked his brow with my thumb.

"Yes, it is," Eric leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "But she woke up alone after dark. Her maker never Called her to him. Or her." He added absently. I still had a lot of questions, but the most important ones had been answered and, for the time being, I decided to let it go.

"You smell like Christine Langdon, too," I smiled a little.

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" He teased lightly and my smile widened.

"I learned from the best."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Mrs. Northman." He grinned back at me.

"I beg to differ," I rubbed my leg against his, "What did she want?"

"We have been summoned to Las Vegas," His smile faltered somewhat.

"Oh," I frowned again, "Why?"

"She couldn't tell me," Eric shrugged, "But Bill, Pam and Derek are also coming with us."

"Oh," I repeated to myself.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about your birthday," He assured me quickly and I nodded, still unhappy at the change in plans. "We will be back before then."

"When are we leaving?"

"Our coffins will be picked up at noon."

"Okay," I said even though I wasn't sure that it really was.

"Are you mad at me? Because I am more than willing to make it up to you!" He grinned to reveal both his fangs and exactly how he planned on making it up to me.

"Well," I let my own fangs extract, "Only if you really want to." My husband leaned down to nip lightly at my ear and I gasped, pulling him so that he was on top of me with his hips between my legs. I giggled when he grazed his fangs against the soft skin behind my ear, but that sound quickly transformed into another sound entirely as his fingers began their journey downwards towards my core. I quickly unbuttoned his jeans and snaked a hand inside, leisurely pumping him.

"Sookie," He groaned against my lips, claiming my mouth in a slow kiss. I got up slowly, pushing him back onto his knees so I could slide his jeans off and then do the same to myself. By the time I was done, his shirt and underwear were already off, as were my tank top and bra. I lay back down with Eric, this time with me on top. I brushed my hand up and down his length, watching him with growing fascination as he writhed under me.

"Sookie..." He gasped and I tightened my grip ever so slightly, my hand movements gradually accelerating.

"Sorry, what was that?" He groaned, arching his back a little when I slapped his hand away. Holding his gaze, I moved forward, taking my time as I slid him inside of me and began moving, riding him until he came and I smacked my hand over his mouth to stop him from waking the neighbours, though his climax was enough to push me over the edge, too.

"Say it," I breathed, still straddling him as I rode the aftershocks.

"Which one?" Eric almost sounded breathless. His abdominal muscles contracted as he rose up to kiss me. "There's several things I could say to you right now, my lover."

"You know which one," I leaned my forehead against his.

"I love you," He pressed his lips against my nose, "I love you," And against my forehead, "I love you," And my cheeks," I love you," And, at last, my lips, "I love you."

'_There is no way you can know how happy you make me,' _The thought was errant, fluttering unintentionally through the bond and into Eric's mind.

"Well, now you can, I guess," I smiled sheepishly. He kissed me again, taking his time as his hands cupped my face.

"I have to pack," I sighed several minutes (and a lot of kissing) later.

"No," Eric pouted a little bit and I grinned, letting him pull me close once again.

"You have to pack, too," I murmured a little later, doing my best to stay focused.

"You would rather pack than kiss me?" I hesitated, pulling back to smile at him and he scoffed, pushing me off of his lap. "Hard-hearted girl." He turned his back to me, quickly sliding on his jeans as I did the same, still smiling to myself.

"Are you going to pout?" I smirked at his back as I slid on my shirt without putting on my bra and grabbed the blanket before following him up the small hill and towards the house.

"I'm going to go pack," He responded airily.

"Oh, you know I love kissing you!"

"I'll have you know that I am a phenomenal kisser," He called over his shoulder.

"I know!" I bit back the giggles, "I would know!" He reached the house ahead of my and slid open the glass doors, heading to the basement without looking back at me.

"Women would do anything to get kissed by me," He grumbled to himself as he rummaged around in the downstairs storage room that held suitcases and other miscellaneous items. He pulled out the biggest cranberry suitcase he could find and carried it to the bedroom, plopping in unceremoniously on the bed.

"I don't doubt that," I watched as he disappeared into the walk-in closet and came back with a pile of jeans and t-shirts, his favourite leather jacket slung over his shoulder, carelessly dumping everything into the suitcase. "Don't forget underwear."

"I was planning to go commando, actually," He surveyed the pile and disappeared once more, this time emerging with his favourite tux in a garment bag.

"Ooh, rebel," I leered at him.

"Hey, you don't kiss me, you don't get any action," He made a displeased noise and returned to the closet. From where I was leaning against the wall I could see him bend down and select several shoeboxes from a low shelf, taking perhaps longer than necessary to locate the specific boxes. I walked up behind him and put my hands around his naked waist, since he had failed to put his shirt back on.

"That does not construe as packing," He announced unhappily. I kissed his back and stepped in front of him, taking the boxes and placing them on a random shelf before stepping forward to kiss his chest, then up to his shoulder and neck. He remained perfectly rigid, keeping his head up so that I couldn't reach up to kiss him. I eventually gave up, narrowing my eyes up at him just as an idea occurred to me. I looked around the large closet and located what I was looking for, taking the step stool and standing on it so I was at his eye level. I placed a light kiss on the cleft of his chin, following the line of his jaw before abandoning it for his forehead and his nose. I pulled back and found him actually making eye contact with me: progress. Smiling, I kissed his lips, sucking on his lower lip until I felt his arms encircle my waist and his lips respond, reluctantly at first.

"You're not wearing a bra," He discovered a moment later.

"Nope," I smiled and kissed him again.

"That's convenient," He all but purred, picking me up and lowering me unto the floor.

The doorbell rang an hour later, causing Eric and I to groan in unison.

"You're less naked than I am," I grinned and my husband groaned again, pulling on his jeans as he headed upstairs.

"Coffins?" I asked as he returned, his feet slapping the marble. He nodded and pulled me close for a long kiss.

"Pack," He ordered casually as he flopped on the couch.

"You aren't going to help me?" I gasped in mock horror.

"_I_ am done packing," He pointed out, "_You_ were too busy checking out my ass."

"You bent over!" I protested.

"And you are still not wearing a bra, lover, but I don't ogle your assets!"

"Yes, you do!" He glanced down at my chest, "You just did!"

"I was watching the Discovery Channel, lover," He made a point of turning away from me.

"You're an ass," I grumbled, stomping back into our bedroom.

"But a very cute ass!" He called over the sound of the television, and I had to smile.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Chapter 5, everybody!! Oh, apparently I wasn't as clear as I thought with something that happened last chapter: the person who rang the doorbell was an employee of the airline, dropping off the coffins Eric and Sookie would be travelling in. It wasn't a significant event. I just wanted to clear that up.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to review; you guys are the best. As always, more reviews are welcome (and encouraged!).

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_I'm in a bed_, I realized as I awoke the next night. Before I even opened my eyes, I knew that I was in our hotel room, and that Eric had moved me from my coffin to the bed as he always did when we travelled.

"Good evening, love," My husband murmured. My head rested on the juncture of his shoulder and he was absently playing with my hair.

"No shower today?" I mumbled, pressing my lips against his skin.

"I wanted to be with you when you woke up," I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Liar," I smiled with my eyes still closed, "You were too busy thinking. About what, sheriff?"

"Nothing."

"Liar." I finally opened my eyes and moved on top of him, pressing my lips against his. He kissed me back, but something in his eye made me hesitate before pulling away. There was something distant there, something that didn't belong to me and of which I had no knowledge. It sent something cold and liquid running down my spine and I hated it right then with a fiery passion, because I suddenly knew what it was. My smile faded. "You were thinking about your wife."

"You are my wife," He responded, though with considerably less conviction than I would have wished.

"Right," I rolled off of him and out of the bed, heading straight for the bathroom in what was our usual suite when we were in Las Vegas.

"Sookie," Eric was suddenly in front of me, "I have enough to think about without you doubting how I feel about you."

"Eric?"

"Yes?"

"I liked it better back when I was all you thought about." I was in the bathroom, locking the door and leaning heavily against it before Eric had fully registered my words.

***

"What's this about?" Bill asked me as we waited for Pam and Derek by the elevators.

"I don't know," I admitted, "I wasn't there for the summoning."

"Eric?" Bill's eyes snapped to my husband who was sullenly watching the Strip from the window.

"I don't know," Eric's gaze remained fixated on the traffic.

"Sorry we're late!" boomed Derek, running a large hand through his mess of dark hair as he grinned sheepishly at us. Pam trailed a little behind him, her fangs still withdrawn. After nearly two centuries of on-and-off dating, we had gotten used to Pam and Derek always being late when they were together. As it were, the smell of sex still clung faintly to both of them.

"Yes, I'm sure you are," Eric muttered coolly, while I hid a smirk. Bill looked amused, and Derek had the grace to look abashed.

"Let's go," The elevator door slid open and I stood aside to let Pam, Derek and Bill get on, "Eric?" He looked up from where he was still standing by the window, "Are you coming?" He nodded, walking past me silently to lean against the elevator wall. I followed him, the two of us not exchanging a single word throughout the entire drive to the queen's mansion.

***

"You may go in," Christine announced as she stepped out of the queen's office. We were seated on the couches in the queen's waiting room, Eric and I still not talking. I was about to follow Pam, Bill and Derek into the room when I was stopped by Eric, who was suddenly blocking my way into the room."Wha-" His lips were on mine before I could fully form words, rougher than usual as he pressed me against the wall.

_'Eric!' _I warned mentally, then, when he did not react: _'Eric! We have to go!'_

"Right," He pulled away, his tone bitter.

"Eric," I grabbed his hand as he turned to walk into Marie's office, "Don't be like that; it was just- I mean, the queen is waiting for us, and-"

"Then let's go in, shall we?"

"Eric," I couldn't take it; not the way his blue eyes- my favourite colour in the world- gazed at me in that glacial way, I couldn't take the way I had just hurt him without even realizing it... I couldn't take how I was slowly losing him. "Please don't look at me with those eyes." His eyes warmed, ever so slightly, and he nodded at me.

"We should go in," He looked towards the door.

"Glad you could join us," Marie smirked at us as we stepped in.

"Sorry, your majesty," Eric bowed while I curtsied.

"Have a seat," She nodded at the loveseat which was flanking an ornate couch along with the armchair she was settled in herself. The room we were in was large by anyone's standards; a mahogany desk was placed at the far end of the rectangular room, in front of the light-proof windows with a view of the royal garden. Bookcases covered the length of the room, the shelves nearly overflowing with leather-bound, priceless items. The couch my friends were now settled on was closer to the door and gathered around the large fireplace that I was confident was a definite fire hazard as it was: surrounded by books and wooden shelves. My husband and I quickly obeyed the queen and waited for her to begin.

"Eric, you are one of my most-trusted sheriffs," Marie began, "So I trust all those whom you trust as well." Eric raised an eyebrow, and I didn't have to read his mind to know he was wondering where she was going with this. "I have a reliable source who tells me that there is a plan to attack me at the Equinox Ball tomorrow night."

"Your majesty?" Bill said uncertainly, needing clarification as much as the rest of us.

"Washington intends to dethrone me." Here, Marie seemed to suppress a smirk, and I now saw why.

"Washington state?" I did my best not to scoff; Washington, though not nearly as poor as some of the southern states, was definitely one of the weakest states. King Matthew Lougheed was foolish and power-hungry, a combination that made his age of over 400 years seemingly impossible. Where the opinion of more than one king or queen was required, Matthew Lougheed's was almost always politely and instantaneously rejected due to its absurdity.

"Yes," Her grin widened almost imperceptibly. Pam looked amused, Derek looked confused, and Bill looked... like Bill. Beside me, Eric was calmly assessing the situation. "However, no matter how ludicrous this threat may be, we still have to regard it as if it were anything but."

"If I may ask," Eric began calmly, "Who is this reliable source?"

"You can come in," Marie called towards the door. The heavy door we had entered through swung open to reveal the smiling blonde standing behind it, painfully beautiful dressed in a simple black cocktail dress.

"Runa," I sighed, not even surprised that she was the 'reliable source'.

"Sookie," She nodded at me before her gaze locked onto Eric.

"Runa," My husband greeted her coolly.

"Eric," Her smile was way too warm to be appropriate, I noticed.

"I see you know each other," The queen glanced back and forth between us, taking in the interaction between our friends.

"We do, your majesty," Pam sneered, nodding at Runa, who was now standing beside Eric, politely waiting for Marie.

"Well, as I was saying," Queen Marie steered us back to the topic, "This is why I needed you all to attend; I can't cancel the Ball because it would arouse suspicion, and from what Runa tells me, Washington's army is nothing to be afraid of; so we're going to fight."

"How does Runa know so much, if I may be so bold, your majesty?" Eric's question was directed at the queen, but his face was turned up and towards Runa.

"I have a child under Lougheed's thrall," She smiled brilliantly.

"We're going to fight?" Pam grinned like a child on Christmas morning; the queen smiled in response.

"Yes, Pamela, we're going to fight." Eric sighed, though his own eyes sparkled in anticipation.

"I will have Christine brief you tomorrow night before the ball;" Marie Gerard told us, "Give you all the details."

"Thank you, your majesty," Eric rose, glancing at me as I did the same.

"Sookie, a word," She said suddenly.

"Yes, your highness," I inclined my head, shrugging a little at Bill's curious gaze.

"I will wait for you outside," Eric told me quietly as Runa, Pam, Derek and Bill headed for the door; I nodded.

"So, do you want to tell me what that was about?" Marie asked once we were alone.

"What, your majesty?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, Sookie."

"Runa is Eric's first wife," I sighed, knowing I would have to be an idiot to try and lie to the queen whom I considered something of a friend, despite her position in the vampire hierarchy and politics. "He didn't know she was alive, or rather, undead."

"Interesting," I had remained standing, and now Marie had followed my lead and was pacing in front of the fire. "I take it you are not pleased."

"No," I shook my head slightly, "But she is helping us, so I will put aside my personal issues for the time being."

"Uh huh," Marie did not sound convinced, "You feel threatened by her."

"Wouldn't you be?" I tried to keep my voice as polite as possible.

"No," She grinned, "Because I saw the way he was looking at you when I married the two of you."

"Yes, your highness."

"I can't help you, Sookie," Her face sobered, "I may want to, but I no longer can because no matter how weak Washington may be, a surprise attack on the Equinox Ball would have devastated all three of my states, and she saved all of our asses."

"I understand."

"Good," She nodded once, "You may go."

"Thank you, your highness." I curtsied and headed for the door, closing it behind me before turning to face a grim-looking Eric.

"Had a nice chat with Runa?" I asked, watching her _flounce_ down the hallway.

"Sookie," My husband shot me a disapproving look.

"Where did they go?" I couldn't see Bill, Pam or Derek.

"Back to the hotel."

"Oh," I considered that, "I need a dress for the Ball."

"Do you want me to come with you?" His tone was neutral. Eric was one of the only men I had ever met who enjoyed shopping; He liked buying clothes for himself and he loved buying things for me, so I found it slightly disappointing that the prospect of gown-shopping failed to cheer him up.

"You don't have to," I settled for an equally neutral response.

"I will," He nodded with conviction.

"Okay."

I prayed silently for things between Eric and I to go back to normal for the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M

A/N: I'll admit; I hate writing about Unhappy!Eric/Sookie, but it has to be done. This is a really short chapter because I'm leaving town and won't be back until next week, so I thought I would post this for now instead of leave you hanging for another week. Pleasepleaseplease review; your reviews mean a whole lot to me.

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"Ohmygod," I snapped awake.

"Good evening," Came Eric's muffled voice from somewhere around my stomach. He pressed his lips to my skin, letting his nose brush softly against my belly button while his hand lifted my hip, the other sliding my shorts down and off of my body.

"Um, Eric?" My voice quivered.

"Yes?" His mouth traveled further south.

"What- ohmygod!" His teeth nipped lightly at the soft flesh of my inner thigh and my hips rose in response, all thoughts of our argument sent tumbling away.

"Eric," This time, my voice was a small moan as I writhed restlessly, desperately wanting his mouth further... _in_. His mouth felt warm against my skin, the texture of his tongue making my muscles clench as he moved closer and closer to my core. "Oh god!" His tongue finally reached where I wanted it and my hips thrust up once again, vying for more contact, more touch, _more_. He sucked on my lips, eliciting a cry from me.

"Sookie," He breathed, his mouth rising momentarily to suck on my clit, his nails running down the side of my thighs and making me shudder even as I squirmed against his touch. His fingers stopped behind my bent knees, the touch too light to tickle me.

"Baby, I..."

"Shuddup," He went back to sucking on my lips, his extended fangs grazing them and making me cry out. He repeated the touch, this time actually piercing the soft flesh with his sharp fangs. I made a noise very much like a sob, my own hands alternating between tangling in his hair and clutching at the sheets. I was sure he was aware of how close I was now, my climax having steadily approached until he began drawing blood from me and I came, all but sobbing with the force of it. He licked me clean, taking his time before pulling himself back up to lie beside me.

"You are so sexy," He murmured against my jaw. I was in no position to form sentences, so I settled for pulling his face down to mine. A moment later, I reached down between us to encircle him with my fingers, not letting his lips escape even as he moved restlessly against me. It did not take long before he had come all over both of us and was on top of me, once again hard and more than ready. I bit my lip as he pushed in, watching his pupils dilate as a bubble of blood formed there and he leaned down to kiss me hungrily, sucking on my bottom lip as he did. Our climaxes both came a few minutes later, Eric stilling on top of me, his head resting against my neck.

***

"This dress is too pretty," I complained a few hours later, admiring myself in the full-length mirror. We had already been briefed by Christine Langdon about the Ball; we were to pretend as if we knew nothing, which meant dressing up and drinking and dancing as if everything was perfectly fine. We were unaware of exactly how the attack would happen, so we were to be alert and cautious of everything even slightly out of the ordinary.

"Hmmm," Eric made an approving noise and I sighed. I had hoped that things would be better between us but, if anything, the sex had made things worse. We had barely spoken since that evening; I was watching my husband drift slowly away from me, and the one thing that had never failed us before had proved to be of no use. "You're going to get blood all over it."

"I know," I sighed again; I had to admit, I looked good. The dress was in a deep indigo with small pieces of Swarovski crystals sparkling against the skirt like the night sky.

"Got your knife?" I pulled up my skirt to reveal the holster strapped to my thigh. Eric nodded. "Good."

"Be careful, okay?" I said as we waited for the elevator.

"I always am."

"I know." I turned to face him, "I know you're an incredible fighter and that if you weren't, you wouldn't have survived this long, but be that as it may, I still worry about you, so be careful. Don't get killed, 'cause if you do, I will personally find a way to kick your ass. You got that?" Eric smiled, bending down to kiss my forehead.

"And if you get _your_ ass kicked, I will return the favour. Got that?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now let's go." We didn't speak in the limo on the way to the queen's mansion, but the silence was comfortable. I rested my head on my husband's shoulder, taking comfort in his scent and the familiar feel of his body.

"Are you worried?" I asked him at one point.

"No," He smiled down at me.

"You love fighting far too much for it to suit me."

"You shouldn't worry so much, Sookie."

"You don't worry that something might go wrong?" I countered, "That you might get hurt? That I might get hurt, or Pam, or Bill, even?"

"I have faith in my own fighting abilities," His finger absently played with my wedding ring, "And I taught both you and Pam how to fight, so I have no reason to worry."

"That is very narcissistic of you." I commented dryly.

"Why? Because I am confident that you can take care of yourself? Because I'm sure that even if you fail to do so, I will be there to protect you?"

"Hmm," I let that one slide, "What about Bill?" Eric made a face and I smacked his knee.

"You really need to get over your feelings for Bill."

"I _have_ no feelings for Bill, my love," He murmured as he watched the traffic, "Absolutely no feelings for him."

"I find it hard to believe, Eric," I smiled into his neck, "That after nearly three hundred years - two hundred and fifty of which were spent in relative peace - you wouldn't care if Bill Compton got hurt."

"I would care if he got hurt," Eric murmured into my hair, "Who would pick up our dry-cleaning then?"

"You have him picking up our dry-cleaning?" I gasped, pulling back.

"No!" He defended quickly and my anger deflated, letting me return to my earlier position. "He refused."

"Eric!"

"I'm kidding!" He shook with suppressed laughter, "I'm sorry, I was kidding."

"You're terrible." I shook my head even though I couldn't help but smile.

"I know," He smiled, and then, "I know." I looked at him curiously, shocked at the bitterness in his voice. "We're here." He announced before I could say anything, courteously helping me out of the limo. I took an unnecessary breath as I looked upon the vampire milling about in their gowns and tuxes, all feigning the typical atmosphere of such balls and yet, when I paid closer attention, I could see the occasional extended fang or mischievous wink. It's going to be fine, I told myself.

Don't you just hate it when you jinx things like that?


	7. Chapter 7

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M for... gore. Sorta.

A/N: Hey, chapter 7. I had never written a fight scene until this chapter, so keep that in mind! I decided to post this chapter despite its length, just so I can say I posted _something_, inadequate as it may be. Regardless, let me know what you think because we all know reviews make me work faster. It's true.

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Over the years, respect had grown for Eric within Marie's ranks. Though it was never spoken out loud, everyone knew of Eric's support for Marie as she claimed the throne after Felipe de Castro's demise; even if they weren't fully aware of his involvement in the latter. His grasp of politics as well as his considerable age only increased others' high opinion of him, so it was only a little disconcerting for me to see the crowd (of vampires, humans and even the occasional were or shifter) part as he and I entered the main ballroom of Marie's mansion.

"Hello," Bill greeted us coolly, though even his dark eyes were wide with anticipation. His date tonight was a woman he had been dating, a striking woman named Serena.

"Bill," Eric nodded, his gaze pausing briefly to admire Serena before getting lost in the crowd. "Pam and Derek haven't arrived yet?"

"Yes, we have," Pam interjected before Bill could respond, "Derek went to get us some drinks."

"Ready to enjoy the evening?" Bill asked me innocently, knowing full well that I was anxious.

"As much as you will enjoy meeting the sun," I matched his tone.

"Enough," Eric's smile softened his words. "Don't ruin my evening with your bickering." Pam scoffed and walked away, shaking her head and muttering about having "no fun" and "old men", a sound that soon got drowned out by the music and the buzzing of dozens of conversations. Bill and Serena soon drifted away as well, murmuring quietly to each other. The humans who had intended to attend the ball would be invited to dinner at some point before midnight: a simple ruse to get the vampires' valued companions out of the way of harm before the attack, which, Runa had informed the queen, would occur after midnight. They would, of course, be ushered back in afterwards in order to feed the vampires they had arrived with, should they wish to do so, and should the vampire require it. Marie's guest suites, which occupied the entire south wing of the mansion, would be left unlocked and ready for those who required rest and privacy in order to feed after the fight.

Every detail, it seemed, had been thought of.

"Do you want something to drink?" Eric asked me, his eyes strangely intense.

"I had enough at the hotel," I shook my head and my husband nodded and began pulling me towards the dance floor, a small smile lighting up his features. I sunk into his arms, my forehead resting against his chest.

"You'll be fine," He assured me.

"It's not me I'm worried about."

"Silly girl," He murmured and I lifted my head, allowing him to kiss me.

"Well, isn't that sweet," I felt Eric's body tense as he found the source of the familiar voice before I did.

"Sookie," Runa greeted me with what appeared to be a genuine smile.

"Runa," I sighed, less willing to put on a cheery facade.

"You wouldn't mind if I cut in, would you?" She shot a small look at Eric, "Your husband and I have quite a bit of catching up to do." Eric regarded me quietly, letting me know wordlessly that I could refuse, that it was my choice. I noted her calling Eric my husband and relented, giving her a small victory in return for what I interpreted as her silent surrender of Eric.

"Of course not," I kissed Eric lightly on the lips, "I'm going to go get a drink." I made sure to turn away before Eric took Runa into his arms, heading casually towards the bar in hopes of getting a glass of Royalty Blended.

"I would personally stake her ass before she got anywhere near my man," A cheerful voice informed me as I waited for my drink. I turned abruptly, having been wrenched out of my thoughts.

"Melody!" She grinned at me with her extended fangs, cocking her head slightly and letting her curls tumble over her shoulder. "It's good to see you."

"Right back at you, Sookie," I chuckled. I had met Melody shortly after my wedding at another one of Marie's many parties. Back then a human with telepathic abilities to match mine, she had been in love with Sheriff Mackenzie of Arkansas and had been unsure of her future. Now a vampire, she was nearly as old as I was and had spent her entire existence as a vampire happily mated to William Mackenzie. I had been somewhat saddened to hear that she had been turned, but pleased to hear that it was on her own volition and had been done by none other than her mate. I had seen her several times since then, and we had become friends, brought together thanks to our rare abilities and unlikely choices in partners.

"Pam told you?" I asked, nodding towards where my husband was now dancing with his ex-wife. Mel nodded. "Of course she did. And trust me, I have considered it." I continued in response to her earlier comment.

"I can do it for you," My friend suggested, watching them.

"Thanks, but I think I'll just pray that she trips and falls on a picket fence or something." She laughed at that. "So where is William?"

"I don't know," She shrugged with an amused expression, "He was sucking up to the queen's out-of-state supporters, so I excused myself before I fell asleep." It was my turn to laugh; I knew well enough what it was like to have to endure endless conversations between a sheriff and one of the queen's many supporters: blame Eric.

"Better that than having your husband's ex-wife interrupt you kissing him."

"This is true," She smiled, sympathy in her eyes. We talked some more, Mel and I, until she was practically whisked away by William. I watched Bill dance with his girlfriend, automatically flashing back to the times when he had looked at _me_ like that, and when I had returned the favour. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice Eric approaching until he was standing in front of me.

"I thought you were full," He eyed my half-empty glass and I offered it to him, watching him quickly down it before pulling me close for a hungry kiss.

"What was that for?" I asked when he let me pull away.

"For letting me dance with Runa."

"You looked like you wanted to," I shrugged off the stab of pain it caused me to admit it.

"Did I?" He looked surprised. I was about to respond when the windows all simultaneously shattered inwards due to vampires attempting to jump through them, effectively ending that conversation.

***

The thing with fighting was that once I started, I began to enjoy myself. I hated the anticipation, all the _if_'s and _when_'s that surrounded a potential fight. I much preferred a surprise attack, as much of a nightmare as that may be, strategy-wise. That night, it wasn't long before I gave up and ripped most of my skirt off (dying a little inside as I defiled my already-doomed dress) before diving back in to behead a particularly repulsive little man with greasy orange hair. A small part of my mind registered Bill fighting somewhere near me, while Eric's opponents had slowly taken him to nearly across the room. I occasionally heard Pam shriek, knowing her far too well to be actually alarmed: she was easily goaded, and it only made her a more determined fighter despite her frustration. A tall woman clad in clothes that barely covered her ran at me, letting out something like a war cry as she did, and I stepped aside and chuckled when she ran past me and attacked a different vampire. I caught one of the Washington vampires raising his stake to strike Bill and I sprinted towards her, raising my own silver-coated knife and making short business of her before she reached him. Bill threw a glance over his shoulder and sent a 'thanks' to me through his thoughts before returning to the two vampires he had been fighting. I turned and immediately had to duck to avoid a blow.

"Damn, I missed," The gorgeous brunette wielding a stake muttered.

"Maybe next time," I sneered and swung at her, growling when she jumped backwards to avoid it. We kept that up for some time, somehow perfectly matched as far as fighting went. I managed to catch her roundhouse kick and twist her foot, spinning her body until she was lying face down on the floor, but not for long. She sprung back up and flung her stake at me, using the moment I took to dodge it to dig her sharp nails into my abdomen, leaving four garish red trails as she ripped through my dress. I grabbed her hand without giving myself time to feel the pain - keeping her fingers still digging into my flesh - and quickly twisted, breaking her wrist. She shrieked, more in anger than in pain, and tried to yank her hand out of mine before realizing that I was suddenly in possession of her stake, having casually taken it from her unbroken hand while she had been distracted. I sneered coldly and struck one last time, leaving the wooden weapon in her chest as her eyes glazed over and she fell backwards onto the floor. I turned away from her and found... quiet. Relative quiet, I noted absently while a larger part of me noticed the most significant thing: the fight was over.

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A/N: Melody and William Mackenzie are both mine; I introduced them in my one-shot called _A Night to Remember_, so there's that. I couldn't tell you in the first A/N because that would be spoiler-y.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Thanks for all the amazing reviews, you guys! Things are gonna get interestin' in the next chapter, I promise :) More reviews are always welcome (not to mention encouraged!)

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_The fight is over_, I told myself again, _the fight is over and we won_! Relief flooded me as the words sunk in and I immediately began scanning around the great hall, trying to differentiate between the vampires I cared about and the ones I didn't quite. The entire room reeked of blood and broken pieces of furniture lay all over the place. The room was filled with the muted buzzing that only occurs after a fight, as the non-injured help the injured, and friends and lovers and spouses wander around with worry etched on their faces until they find what they were looking for. I was glad to see that I couldn't see any fatalities from where I was standing just as I caught Pam helping Derek up, the latter clearly favouring one leg. I saw Melody and William embracing and quickly looked away, feeling awkward. My stomach began twisting in a horrible way as I continued searching for the two I couldn't find, making my way through the bloodied, disintegrating corpses.

"Bill!" I gasped, seeing his unmistakable head of thick black hair out of the corner of my eye. He grunted and pushed the vampire he had undoubtedly staked as she jumped on top of him out of the way, his lips curling in disgust, but still made no move to get up.

"I'm alright," He assured me as I helped him sit up, frowning at the gash on the side of his leg.

"You need blood," I murmured, studying the wound; he hissed when I touched it. "Sorry. You'll be okay, though." We both turned then, as the humans that had been ushered away mere minutes before the fight started began trickling back in, crowding by the doors and grimacing at the decapitated and crumbling bodies of the vampires.

"Have you found Eric yet?" Bill asked, wincing slightly as I helped him stand up, swaying a little before I put his arm around my neck.

"No," I bit my lip.

"Sookie," He said quietly, his tone suddenly subdued, "Isn't that him?" I followed the line of his finger and found my husband carrying an injured Runa out of the door, pausing long enough to grab one of the humans from the 'buffet' to go with them.

"Oh," I averted my eyes, "Come on, let's get you upstairs." Bill said no more until we found Serena waiting by the door, her brown eyes brimming with tears.

"Are you okay? Do you need blood?" She asked in one breath as she saw us approaching.

"I'm fine," He assured her gently, brushing her tears away with a finger.

"You need blood," She finally caught sight of his leg and Bill nodded, rather awkwardly.

"Okay," She shot a feeble smile at me as I began to lead the way up the marble staircase and to the second floor, turning left to get to the guest suites in the south wing. There were other vampires there, cautiously peaking into the rooms before going in (no doubt searching for any remaining Washington vampires) and locking the doors behind them. I found an empty room and swung the door open, helping Bill inside into a mirror image of every average hotel room. The bedroom was behind a sliding door, and I settled Bill on the bed before stepping back.

"Sookie, are you-"

"I'm fine," I cut him off, not wanting to discuss the knife that kept sliding deeper and deeper into my heart.

"Are you sure you-"

"Bill," I interrupted, "I'm _fine_. But you need blood, so we will talk later." He nodded, knowing me well enough to just let it go. His pressing need for blood probably contributed to that decision, as well.

"Thank you."

"Anytime," I bent down to kiss his hair and turned around, smiling at Serena as I walked out.

"Sookie," I turned at the sound of my voice.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Serena mumbled, blood rushing to her cheeks, "For helping Bill, I mean."

"It was no problem." I told her gently, and she nodded, "Go. Go take care of him." She nodded again and hurried away, sliding the bedroom door shut behind her. I left the suite and paused in the hallway, refusing to ponder the image of Eric carrying Runa. _Maybe he was just taking out the white trash, _I chuckled bitterly at myself. Shooting a look down the hallway, I tried another room and found it empty, quickly closing the door behind me and locating the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at myself. My hair had been pulled back and gathered with a hidden clip, but it was now falling out, my entire head sprinkled with blood and flakes of dead vampire.

"Ugh," I turned on the water and quickly scrubbed my face before letting my hair down and shaking it out, wetting my hands under the faucet and then running it through my hair. Satisfied for the time being with head, I moved on to the rest of me, wetting a hand towel and wiping the drying blood off of my arms and bare legs as well as my stomach, where the four gashes had already healed. My dress was entirely ruined thanks to me ripping off most of the skirt, not to mention the blood soaking into it.

"I'll buy you another one," Eric murmured from the doorway, having most likely followed my scent.

"I thought you'd be longer," I shot him a cold look, "Didn't think you could bear to leave her so soon."

"Sookie," His tone lightly admonished me, "She was hurt."

"I'm fine, by the way," I turned to face him.

"I knew you were fine, Sookie, I could feel it through the bond!"

"Thanks for thinking of me." I snapped.

"Sookie," He stepped forward and I stepped back, "Sookie."

"I'm going back to the hotel," I told him, "I think it's best if you stay here. I'll see you back in Shreveport."

"Sookie!" Eric looked shocked.

"Stop saying my name like it's going to change anything." I said quietly, no longer looking at him.

"I'm sorry," His voice had cooled.

"G'night," I brushed past him as I walked out, hurrying out of the room and down the stairs, into the entrance hall where I saw the queen and stopped to speak with her.

"Good job tonight, Sookie," She smiled at me, "You fought well."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"Is Eric alright?"

"You're going to have to ask him that yourself, your highness," I looked her in the eyes, "I wouldn't know."

"Alright, what is going on with the two of you?" I looked up at the frustration in her voice.

"Your highness?" I asked uncertainly.

"Cut the 'your highness' crap, Sookie," She waved her hand impatiently, "I want to know why it is that two of my most-trusted vampires are no longer inseparable." I rubbed my eyes, suddenly feeling worn-out.

"I don't know, Marie," I looked past her at the vampires still trickling out of the ballroom, the humans accompanying them more often than not looking horrified. "I don't know what's happening to us." Marie gazed at me steadily and I looked down at my hands, "I think I'm losing him."

"Then fight for him."

"What?"

"Don't stand back and let Runa take over your life, fight for your husband!" She shrugged like it was the simplest thing.

"He used to be _her_ husband," I countered, "They grew up together. How am I supposed to fight for him if he doesn't want me to?"

"If he's still here, that means he wants you to." Marie told me, leaning in slightly to give me a small smile. I nodded.

"Thank you." Her smile widened.

"Good night, Sookie."

"Good night, your majesty."

"Hey, Sookie!" She called after me after I bowed and turned away.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"I sure hope you have extra clothes in the limo," She grinned at me, "You look like a murderous Vegas showgirl in that ripped dress."

"I do, your majesty," I chuckled, "Thank you."

"Good night."

"Good night, your highness." I headed outside, closing my eyes against the cool night time breeze of the desert.

"How are you gonna get yourself through this one, Sook?" I asked myself, opening my eyes at the sound of our limo approaching. I didn't bother waiting for the driver to get the door, sliding into my seat and asking to be driven back to the hotel as soon as it came to a full stop. I changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt in the limo, not caring how out of place I would look walking in to the 6-star hotel. Once in the hotel room, I showered and changed into jeans and a tank top before settling into my coffin, ready for our flight back to Shreveport. Before the sun fully rose, I fleetingly congratulated myself on avoiding all thoughts regarding my husband, and then I was asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: So, super short chapter, but just wait until you read it. Please please review if you liked it (even if you didn't, review to tell me why). Much love.

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I awakened in my coffin that evening, something that was definitely new to me: Eric had always taken me out before I could wake up, but it was no wonder he had opted out this time. I could tell that he had been home, however. His coffin stood in the foyer upstairs and his fresh scent was in the air. He had showered quickly and then left before I could wake up and discover him, I realized with a pang. I shook myself as I showered; I wasn't one to wallow in self-pity. I would get through this, with or without Eric, and I would be fine, though I couldn't help thinking that I would much rather keep my husband of over two centuries.

I loved Eric, and I knew (though I was suddenly less certain) that he loved me, too, but I was still hurt by him. The worst part was that I couldn't bring myself to entirely hate Runa. I despised her presence in my life, sure, and I envied the history she shared with Eric, but I somehow understood her. Had I been placed in her position, I was sure I would have done the same things. And to top it all off, she had saved my queen and my home, and I couldn't hate her for that. I pulled into the parking spot beside Eric's car and got out, smiling at the night breeze and the full moon that still reminded me of Sam, all these years later. Pulling myself out of my reverie, I headed towards the employee entrance.

_Fangtasia is ridiculously crowded_, I decided as I entered through the back door. I could hear the thrum of dozens of minds and the Eurotrash music that had been in vogue for months now. I personally hated it, but there was nothing I could do: the public wanted what it wanted. The warm, tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that Eric was close, in his office instead of out in the bar, but I ignored that little piece of information and continued on towards my own office. I had a lot of work to do, including an interview for the position of barmaid, which would no doubt be entertaining, at the very least. The young girl arrived an hour later, dressed (not surprisingly) in a black dress and black stiletto heels that were uncomfortable for a vampire, let alone a human. I had my fun pretending to be much more menacing than I actually was and asked her threatening questions, letting my fangs click out as I did. She stuttered her way through her questions and eventually left, leaving me with a grin on my face. Deciding I liked her, I filled out a job offer, but paused when I realized I would have to get it signed by Eric.

"Are you two fighting?" Pam frowned as she stepped into my office without bothering to knock.

"What makes you say that?"

"He has been pissy all night, and you're standing here staring at a piece of paper."

"I'm reading it, Pam."

"Right." She rolled her eyes, and then sobered, biting her lip.

"What is it?" I asked cautiously.

"Runa's here." She mumbled.

"_Oh_," I leaned back against my desk, "Of _course_ she is." I ran my hand through my hair. "How long has she been here?"

"Five, maybe ten minutes," Pam grimaced.

"Oh," I looked down at the paper in my hand, "I need to get this signed by Eric."

"Sookie-" She warned and I interrupted her.

"What? He's my boss and I need to get this signed by him." She nodded reluctantly, and I headed for Eric's office, knocking and barely pausing for a response before I walked in. Eric was perched on the edge of his desk, a shocked look on his face.

"What?" I asked, suddenly regretting my decision to burst in. "What did you do?" He looked up and shook his head.

"Nothing."

"Eric," I fought to keep my voice steady, "I know Runa was here and I can tell something happened, so just tell me."

"Sookie, I-"

"Did you have sex?" I asked numbly.

"No!" He shook his head and stood up, "We didn't d- We didn't."

"Right," I nodded absently. "Stupid question." I would have been able to smell it if they had. "But you did something."

"We... kissed," His voice was a soft whisper but it still made me sink heavily onto the couch.

"Oh,"

"It was just a kiss, Sookie," He pleaded, kneeling in front of me.

"Who pulled away?"

"What?"

"Who broke the kiss?" I asked again, staring unseeingly at my knees.

"I did," He touched my jaw, "Sookie-"

"Where is she?" I asked suddenly.

"Wh- in the bar, I think?" I nodded and stood up, marching out of his office and into the bar, where I found Runa chatting with Tasha, our bartender.

"He is _mine_," I hissed without any preamble, my fangs already out. Runa shot me an amused look and turned her body to face mine.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize the sheriff was your bitch."

"He has been with me for far longer than he was with you, so maybe that should be a hint that you need to give up." A part of my mind registered that most of the bar was now staring at us, even though they couldn't hear us over the music.

"Oh, he told you we kissed, didn't he?" She grinned, glancing at Eric standing behind me. "Did he also tell you that he told me he loves me?" My palm made contact with her face before I had realized what I'd done. Runa hissed and withdrew her fangs.

"Sookie," Eric tired to pull me back but I shrugged him off.

"You want to fight me, Sookie?" Runa taunted.

"Runa, back off," Eric warned, his voice cold.

"No, it's fine, Eric," I said, not taking my eyes off Runa, "Might as well get this over with."

"Sookie, stop it."

"I'm older than you," Runa sneered at me, "And stronger. You sure you want to do this?"

"What, are you afraid of poor old insignificant me?"

"As if," She snorted.

"I'm ordering you both to stop," Eric growled.

"Or what?" Runa reared back slightly, ready to strike, and I tensed in anticipation.

"Runa, as your maker, I _command you to stop_!"


	10. Chapter 10

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M for... language??

A/N: Holy sparkling vampires, you guys! Thanks for all the amazing reviews!! They were so much fun to read and I am so grateful that I have you all :) I will do my very best to answer all your questions in the story, if I haven't messaged you already. Thanks again for all the support. As of now, I don't see the story taking any more than three chapters to wrap up, but then again I always end up writing more than I planned on (this story was supposed to be _short_, honest to god), so we will see. Also, I'd like you to know that this scene is what inspired me to write the actual story, so I have had it saved on my computer since before the first chapter!

Reviews brighten my day, but you knew that already.

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"Sookie!" I ignored my name and continued walking (or rather, running) towards the employee entrance. I felt his iron grip on my shoulder as he spun me around to face him.

"Don't _touch_ me!" I hissed viciously and he removed his hand.

"I loved her, what was I supposed to do?"

"Are you _fucking kidding me?_" I shoved him backwards into the wall. "You think I give a _fuck_ that you turned her? You think it would have mattered to me?" He looked so upset, so desperate; but I was too far gone to stop now. I was shaking with anger and hurt and pushed far beyond any means of holding back. "You lied to me! For two hundred years, you lied to me!"

"Sookie, darling, just-"

"Don't call me that, Eric," I snapped, "I am not your darling. Not anymore."

"Sookie..."

"I gave you everything; everything I had. I was honest with you, and faithful, and I loved you more than anything, and all the while you hid the fact that your first wife was alive because you happened to turn her." A part of me noted that tears were streaming down my face, that Gabriella, one of the waitresses, was listening from inside the employees' change room, and that I was shaking with the force of my emotions. "I _hate_ you," I pounded my fists against his chest ineffectually and he pulled me roughly into his arms, "I hate you so much."

"How was I supposed to tell you?" Eric's voice almost shook with sadness. "I changed her because I couldn't bear to watch her die, and then I left her because I couldn't bear for her to see what I'd become. How was I supposed to tell you that?"

"You should have found a way." I could hear the bitterness practically dripping from my words as I wrenched myself out of his hold. "What made you think that I wouldn't understand? That I wouldn't be able to get past it? What did I do- in the two hundred years of our marriage- that made you think I couldn't handle the truth?"

"It's my fault." He whispered.

"Yes, it is." My own words shocked me; when had I become so unforgiving? Was I being too harsh to the man whom I had spent over two centuries loving?

"I love you." He said as if he could hear me. He even stepped forward, but I stepped back.

"You said that to her, too," I bit my lip, the knife sliding in deeper as I replayed the confrontation in the bar in my mind, "So either you lied to me about loving me for over two hundred years, or you lied to her, which brings up the question why you would feel obligated to tell her that."

"I love you," He said again.

"I wish that were enough," More tears streamed down my face, "I wish it were, Eric." I looked down to find my hand in his. When had that happened? I let go. "I'm leaving."

"Sookie, please..." Was it a trick of the light or were his eyes also rimmed in red?

"Don't come after me," I looked him dead in the eye, "Don't try and find me, and don't you dare Call me, Eric."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "I need to just get away and think. I can't think when I'm around you."

"Does that mean you might come back?"

"We'll see." I said after a moment, turning on the spot to walk away.

"Sookie-" He called after me and I whirled around to face him again, my carefully-restrained anger bubbling to the surface once more.

"Do you want to know why I was so threatened by her?" I asked, shaking slightly and continuing before he had the chance to respond, "Because she's everything that I can never be. I can never have breakfast with you, or make your favourite food. I can never meet your parents and try and suck up to your mom. I can't ever get pregnant and have your child the way she did. And all these things; the thought of them just kept hitting me over the head and I was so damned threatened by her. But then I remembered that I have a lot of things on her, too, Eric. She never saved you from an exploding building, or nursed you back to health by giving you her blood. She never took you in when you needed someone to protect you for once in your life and she sure as hell didn't get to be with you for as long as I have. So I deserve better, Eric. I deserve better than this because I may not have given you everything she did, but in the long run, I have given way more than she ever can. I deserved the truth, no matter how hard it may have been for you to give it to me. You had so many opportunities to tell me; so many nights that we lay together in bed, so many car rides, so many chances. You even still had a chance when she first walked into Fangtasia, but you didn't take it. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I was the only thing you couldn't face." I stood in front of him, emotionally exhausted and strangely empty, and yet Eric's crimson tears sent another jab into my heart. I hated myself for simultaneously taking pleasure in his tears and wanting to kiss them away.

"Good-bye, Eric." I sighed at last.

"Good-bye, Sookie." I turned away before he attempted to touch me and managed to reach my car before I ran into anyone else.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Pam stepped out of the darkness just as I was opening the car door.

"Leaving."

"I can see that," She seethed, "Sookie, don't be such a child-"

"Is it really that childish of me to be upset that my husband lied to me?" I interrupted, shooting her an angry look.

"It's childish of you to leave." Was her cool retort.

"Good-bye, Pam."

I drove home and packed a few things before heading for the nearest highway.

I had crossed the Florida state line well before dawn.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M for... language??

A/N: So I just wanted to make sure that you guys are aware that I do read each and every single review and PM that you guys send me, even though sometimes I don't have the time to respond (to the reviews) or I'm too scatter-brained to (respond to the PMs), so if in the past I have responded to your reviews and I failed to do so, please forgive me. Same with if I didn't respond to your PM; I went through my inbox today and saw how many I hadn't replied to, and I felt so very guilty :S Thank you all for the continued support. I would have stopped long ago without you all.

Having said that, this chapter was incredibly hard to write, so I would appreciate some feedback. Much love.

* * *

"Hello, sweetheart," Bill rose to kiss my cheek. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Bill," I smiled warmly and put my arms around him.

"I have something for you," He smiled, "Turn around."

"I already mailed your present to Shreveport." I admitted, but I did as he told me to and waited with apprehension as he fastened the necklace around my neck.

"Bill!" I gasped. The pendant was a small gold heart encrusted with tiny rubies, and I immediately loved it despite how clichéd it may have been. "You shouldn't have!"

"Do you like it?"

"I love it," I hugged him again.

"I'm glad. How are you?" He asked once we were both settled in our seats.

"I'm great, now," I grinned, "How have you been?"

Bill shrugged, "Same as always."

"I think that's a good thing," I smiled at him over the menu.

"It's good to see you, Sookie," He chuckled at me, "It's been too long."

"I'm sorry," My smile faltered, "But I've just been..."

"Enjoying the Canadian climate?" Bill supplied lightly, nodding at the window. Outside, it was nearly -40°C and the streets were all frosted beautifully with the plowed snow. Cars whizzed by, their windshields reflecting both the traffic lights and the Christmas ones on practically every building.

"It's not that bad!" I defended quickly, "I like this city."

"It's in the middle of nowhere!"

"It's by the Canadian Rockies, not the middle of nowhere."

"You hate the cold!" Bill pointed out.

"I guess I changed," I heard the bitter tone to voice, but I couldn't help it, "I'm not the only one." We both straightened when the waitress came over to take our orders: an A-positive bottle of Royalty Blended and two wine glasses. The young woman walked away, and brought us our drinks a moment later, but we didn't resume our argument, the silence lingering awkwardly.

"So," I began, toying with the salt shaker on the table, "are you going to tell me how he is, or should I wait until later?"

"I'm sorry, who?" Bill looked at me innocently.

"William," I sighed.

"If you want to know how he is, why don't you just call him?"

"How is he?" I pressed.

"He is a mess."

I snorted, "I'm sure."

"It's the truth." He said simply.

"Even if that were true, he would never let you see that."

Bill laughed and poured us both some blood, "That is true, but I didn't mean that I walked in on him weeping; I can tell because he's irritable and cold. Occasionally cruel, even."

"Oh," I mumbled, running my finger around the lip of the glass.

Bill's features softened, "Sookie, if you miss him, why don't you just go back to him?"

"Since when do you care? You have never liked Eric."

"Maybe not, but being away from him is making you miserable, too."

"I'm not miserable." Bill made a disbelieving noise and I bristled, "It's not easy, getting used to life without someone you've been with for as long I was with Eric!"

"You love him, Sookie."

"I used to!" I snapped.

"You don't stop loving someone you've been with for as long as you were with Eric." Bill threw my argument back at me and I glared, silenced by his logic.

"He lied to me, Bill," My voice sounded strained, "And not only that, but he told Runa he loves her."

"I lied to you, too, darling," His voice lowered to match mine, "And you managed to forgive me."

"But things never went back to the way they were before." I pointed out.

"True," Bill allowed, "But then again, you didn't love me nearly as much as you love Eric."

"That's not true," I mumbled awkwardly, looking up in surprise when he laughed.

"Sookie, it's okay." He smiled his sly smile, "I did manage to get over you in the end, didn't I?"

"You keep telling yourself that," I intoned in mock sobriety, and the mood lightened once more. "Don't you get tired of trying to put my marriage together for me, Bill?"

"Yes," Was his immediate response, "So just go back to him and put me out of my misery."

"It's not that easy!" I whined.

"Sookie, if you love someone, and I mean truly love them, regardless of the stupid choices they make, then nothing else matters."

"You need to lay off the romance novels, William." He was about to respond when his phone rang. He grimaced and pulled it out of his pocket, frowning at the caller ID before responding.

"Yes, Pam?" I watched him, hearing Pam's annoyed voice on the other end. "I told him I would be out of town!" He growled. There was a pause as she responded. "Fine, just tell him you couldn't reach me. I'll be back in a few days."

"What was that about?" I asked once he had hung up.

"Eric requires my presence." He rolled his eyes.

I stiffened, "Does he know you're with me?"

"Did you want him to?"

I shrugged, "I don't care as long as he doesn't know where I am."

Bill gave me a long look before responding, "Yes, he knows I'm with you."

_Huh_. "What did he say when you told him?"

"He told me to give you this." Bill reached beside him on the seat and revealed a small black box, almost like a jewellery one, but bigger.

"What is it?" I asked apprehensively.

"Your Christmas present." _Oh_. I wasn't sure I wanted a present from Eric. I didn't know if it was acceptable to accept the gift your estranged husband sent you, especially if you had failed to purchase him one.

"I didn't buy him a birthday present," I muttered absently, "It's his birthday on Christmas day, and I always get him a big present, but I didn't think..."

"I'm sure he didn't expect anything." Of course. Eric never expected presents: he still found it absurd that _I_ could spend money on _him._

"Sh- should I open it?"

"It's your choice." Bill watched me carefully, "I could take it back to him if-"

"No," I bit my lip and pulled the box forward - taking a moment to steady myself before opening it - and gasped. Settled in a sea of peach-coloured satin was my old watch. It had been a Christmas present from Jason back before I had met Bill and it had kept perfect time for years until it inexplicably stopped working several decades later when I was no longer human. By that time, I had replaced the leather straps at least a dozen times and the glass was incredibly scratched. For years I searched for a repairman who had experience with analog watches, but they had died out as surely as the watches themselves had, making way for shiny digital watches that measured heartbeats and strides as well as time. Eric had always been baffled by my attachment to it, but I had refused to throw away this last memento of my old life, opting instead to keep it in a safety deposit box.

But here it was. Restored perfectly; the glass clear and free of all imperfections, the dials inky black against a flawless white background, the frame perfectly reflective and the straps once again replaced with actual leather (very expensive these days).

"_Oh_," My vision was suddenly blurry and a funny shade of red. "He found someone to fix it."

"I suppose he did," Even Bill sounded shocked.

"How can-" My throat closed up and a small part of me was surprised that it could happen to vampires. _How can the same person who hurt me do this?_ "Can we go?" I asked, quickly dabbing at my eyes with a napkin and looking up at Bill, "Can we walk? Somewhere?" Bill nodded and we were outside, walking in the cold, not 5 minutes later.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: So, some of you guys figured it out on your own, but most of you didn't, which is entirely understandable. Sookie left Eric at the end of June/ beginning of July, so there's a 6-month gap between chapter 10 and 11. This is a pretty long chapter and a lot happens, so cherish it because I'm graduating high school this year and I won't have time to update as often as I want :( Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far: You guys are the best.

Let me know what you think, even if you don't like it :)

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_This is a mistake, _I told myself. I leaned my head against the shower wall in some hotel room in some town, somewhere. It didn't matter where I was. I hadn't seen Eric since July of last year, I had talked to Pam regularly, seen Bill at least once a month, and thought about my old life every day.

I loved him.

I loved him and I hated his guts.

I hated the way he had made me fall in love with him, and the way he had hurt me.

I hated the way he crept into my thoughts when I was doing my best to get over him, and the way he sent me old, restored watches from my human days to sway me.

I hated that both Bill and Pam were telling me that they hadn't seen Runa since the night I left, that he hadn't given any woman more than a cursory glance since that same night.

I hated that it pleased me.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, not bothering to wrap a towel around myself. I stared at myself in the mirror. My reflection hadn't changed in hundreds of years, but she had sad eyes. I touched my wedding and engagement rings where they hung from a single gold chain and nestled themselves between my breasts, and then lightly fingered the heart pendant Bill had given me.

I was tired of moving from town to town, city to city, crossing the US-Canadian border again and again, staying at whatever hotel pleased me for however long.

_I will go back_, I decided, _just to figure out some stuff._

_I'm not crawling back to him_, I told myself sternly as I purchased plane tickets to Shreveport, _I just can't avoid him forever_.

***

Fangtasia was the same as it always was on Friday nights: people milling about, trying to get laid or fed on or both, as always dressed in something black and skimpy or patent and tight. It'd been over two and a half centuries since vampires came out of the closet, and the only thing different was that the blood substitutes were more satisfying and the fangbangers more fearless. The first was acceptable, the second was not, not to mention often dangerous to the lives of the more brazen humans because regardless of how much we try to pretend we are just like humans, some of us will never get over our superiority complex. Old habits die hard, no pun intended.

"Sookie!" Bill hurried up to me, which I picked up on as being strange, "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Bill, it's nice to see you, too!"

"I'm sorry, darling," He pulled me into a hug, "You know it's great to see you. I'm glad you're back." He smiled at me. "I'm surprised to see you here, that's all."

"Bill, what's wrong?" I looked around the bar. "Where is... Eric? And Pam?"

Bill looked incredibly uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation, "Nothing's wrong, why wo-"

"William Compton, I have known you for two hundred and fifty years, so don't even try to lie to me." I interrupted, growing genuinely alarmed. "Now, tell me what's wrong!"

He sighed and shot a look around the bar, "Let's get some privacy." He grabbed my hand and led me through the bar, past the tables and the dancers, to Eric's office. I sighed when I stepped inside, for some reason anticipating something different; a physical change that marked the one in our relationship here in the place where so many happy things had happened.

"So, what is it?" I took a deep breath and perched myself uneasily on the edge of Eric's desk while I tried to fight back the rising panic.

"Sookie, Marie Gerard is planning on stepping down as the Queen of Louisiana." Bill began cautiously.

"Why?"

Bill chuckled at my incredulous expression, "Marie has never been greedy. The attack from Washington let her know that maybe she should lessen her range of focus, lessen her kingdom."

"So who is she going to name to replace her?" I frowned slightly, though I was sure I knew.

"She has yet to make the announcement official, but Eric is her best choice. She knew that, and Eric knew that."

"But he doesn't want it," I had no doubt in my mind, "Eric never wanted more than this." I gestured around the office.

"He doesn't," Bill nodded, "But there are few vampires more powerful than him in Louisiana. None, in fact. No king or queen would feel safe governing him."

"Marie did," I pointed out.

"Marie knew she had his undying loyalty," He smiled indulgently, "She trusted him."

"So, Eric has no choice in being named king." I stated, and Bill shook his head. "So, where is he? Vegas?"

Bill shot me a guilty look, "No, Sookie."

"What?" I slid off the desk and tried to catch his gaze as he tried to avoid mine. "Bill, just tell me."

"Someone attacked Eric." He mumbled.

"_What?_" I snapped, "Who would-? How could anyone-? _How_?"

"An injection of silver."

I froze. "That's impossible. How would anyone get that close to him?" I asked expressionlessly.

"He spent the day on his couch at Fangtasia." Bill intoned, "He- was an idiot. Whoever it was, got through the security system. We have no leads, because they left no trace of themselves."

"He... _was_ an idiot?" I repeated, trying to blink back the tears because Eric couldn't... he _couldn't_ be... gone. Could he? "Bill? He _was_?"

"No no!" He panicked, "He's not- He's not dead, Sookie."

"Where is he?" I let out a shaky breathe, "Take me to him, William."

Bill nodded, "Come on."

We were zooming through the dark streets less than 60 seconds later.

***

The hospital was in the industrial section of the city, the single moth-attracting light amidst the deserted warehouses and workshops. Bill parked in front of the building and we hurried inside, bypassing the front desk and the flurry of activity surrounding it. I followed Bill up two sets of stairs (it was quicker than waiting for the elevator) until we finally reached the right floor. Bill led me down the well-lit hallway, past a nurse's station and a very unhappy Were limping with the help of a set of crutches.

"Pamela, I am going home!" I could hear the familiar voice boom before Bill and I had even rounded the corner and reached Eric's hospital room.

"No, you're not!" Pam's voice snapped back, "Ludwig says you need to stay here for a few more days!" She finished just as Bill and I reached the open doorway, and her eyes snapped to my face, her expression breaking into a grin. Eric was sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to the door, his hospital gown lying discarded beside him as he quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants over his underwear.

"Well, too bad," He growled, oblivious. My husband looked up, however, when Pam didn't respond. His eyes followed Pam's gaze and settled on me expressionlessly. He looked sick, his normally pale skin looking unusually brittle and transparent, his blue eyes unnaturally dark. His hair was in tangles and his fangs were out, showing his lust for blood (or something else, my mind supplied).

"Sookie, tell him he can't go home until Ludwig says he can!" Pam abandoned the social niceties.

"How long does Ludwig want him here?" I asked, my eyes locked on Eric, just as his were on mine.

"A week, at the very least," Pam bitched.

"How long has he been here?"

"A day," Bill snorted quietly and Eric's eyes glanced over to him angrily before returning to me.

I tore my gaze away to look at Pam, "He'll stay."

"You don't have the authority-" Eric began but I interrupted him.

"I'll take care of it," I told her with conviction.

"Great," Pam grinned, "And while you're at it, can you make him drink this?" She motioned at the plastic cup on Eric's bedside table, filled with a nasty-smelling red liquid. "It's the silver antidote he needs to be regularly drinking." She directed that last sentence at our maker, throwing in a glare for good measure. I nodded and Pam smiled at me, grabbing her purse from the visitor's chair and slinging it over her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're back," She whispered as she hurried out the door, taking Bill with her and slamming the door shut behind them, leaving me alone with my estranged husband.

"Get back in your bed," I said firmly and he obeyed after a long moment, crawling reluctantly back into bed. I perched on the edge of his mattress and held out the plastic cup, barely holding back the scoff as he wrinkled his nose. "Drink."

"I don't need it," He muttered quietly.

"Eric," His eyes met mine at the mention of his name, "Drink." Hesitantly, he took the cup from me and sniffed at the liquid, sighing before he began quickly downing it. He handed me the cup when he was done and I returned it to its place on the bedside table.

"How are you feeling?" I asked after an awkward pause.

"I'm good," Eric was eyeing me warily, as if I was going to lash out at him or stake him on the spot.

"Oh, yeah?" I lashed out anyways, "Because you look like shit."

He flinched, "Thanks."

"What were you thinking?" I turned my hips so I wouldn't have to twist my body to face him, "Spending the day in your unprotected office when you're about to be named king?"

"I wasn't," He shrugged dispassionately.

"Since when?" My tone softened, "You always think things through. You don't do stupid shit!"

"All evidence point to the contrary," Eric smirked.

"This isn't funny!"

"Isn't it?" He cocked his head at me.

"You could have gotten killed!" _Calm down_, I admonished myself.

"Would you have cared?" He sounded genuinely interested.

"You're an idiot," I decided, though my heart wasn't in it. Eric apparently had nothing to say to that and so he looked down at his stomach, his eyebrow rising in surprise. I mimicked his movement and found my hand resting on his bare abdomen. _Oh_. I withdrew it quickly.

"You're wearing the watch," Eric observed.

"Yes," I looked down at it, "Thank you, i- it meant a lot to me."

Eric nodded, "It was supposed to be your birthday present, but then you left and I didn't know how to reach you..." His voice drifted off and he shrugged.

"You're not wearing your rings," His tone was carefully even. I tugged the chain out from under my blouse and showed him the rings, and then looked at his left hand: he was still wearing the silver band. I didn't know what to think of that.

"It's almost dawn," He nodded towards the light-blocked window, no doubt expecting me to leave. I didn't respond, choosing instead to crawl into bed beside him. He shot me a careful look before moving over, and I lay on my side next to him, my head propped up on one hand. After a moment, he tucked his head against my neck and placed a hand on my hip.

"Are you back to stay?" He murmured.

I paused, not sure how to respond, "I don't know. We'll see."

He nodded and moved closer to me, and for a second it felt like that New Year's so many decades ago when he had crawled into my bed. That night, just like now, he had been the one who sought comfort, the one with the fragile vulnerability that had seemed so out of character, and I had been the one who provided him with a safe haven, or perhaps just the temporary illusion of one.

I placed a soft kiss on his head just before I fell asleep.

***

I waited until I was sure Sookie was sleeping before I lifted my head. For the first time in nearly one year, I gazed at my wife. She was still my wife, and in my heart, she would always be, even if she could never bear to love me again. I pressed my lips against her forehead, her nose, her cheeks and her chin. I brushed my fingers against her closed eyelid and her blonde eyelashes, following the lines of her jaw with my thumb. Finally, I kissed her lips, cherishing the feel of them against mine, fighting not to let myself break.

"I love you," I whispered against her lips before tucking my head back against her neck, letting her scent fill my lungs in the second before my daytime slumber claimed me.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: So I wrote that other one-shot set waaaay before this story happened, and then I felt guilty so I decided to work on this. If I fail my diplomas, it's you people's fault. Reviews are very much appreciated.

***************************************

I woke up in bed with Eric.

Well, shit.

"Good evening, lover," He murmured.

"Don't call me that, Eric," I chastised him gently and sat up just as the door swung open.

"Mr. Northman, it's time for you- Oh." The nurse stopped halfway into the room with another cup of red liquid, smirking at me. "Hello, there. And who might you be?"

"His wife," I said without a second thought as I slid out of bed and immediately bit my tongue. Eric shot me a sharp look.

"Hmm, well, I see you have managed to make him drink his medicine," She regarded the empty cup on the bedside table. "Let's see how you'll manage with another one." She handed me the full cup and turned to Eric.

"How are you feeling?"

"Well enough to go home," Eric responded quickly.

"Not a chance," the nurse and I chorused, and then chuckled; Eric scowled.

She glared at my husband, "The doctor will be in to check on you later tonight." She shot a look towards me, "Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks," I said, and she left, closing the door behind her. I realized Eric was glaring at me, or more specifically, the drink in my hand. I silently handed it to him, daring him to protest.

"I can't call you 'lover' anymore?" He asked conversationally, taking a small sip and wrinkling his nose.

"I haven't been your lover in a while, Eric," I pointed out just as conversationally.

"But you still love me."

"I do?"

"Yes." He nodded with conviction and then drained the antidote.

I sat back down on the edge of his bed, amusement painting my face, "How can you be so sure?"

"You didn't come back because you heard I was hurt," He eyed the red residue at the bottom of the cup thoughtfully before handing it to me, "You only found out I was hurt when you got here."

"How do you know Pam didn't tell me? Or Bill?"

"Because I ordered them not to," He told me with a grin.

The hint of the smile disappeared from my face, "Why would you do that?"

"Because I wanted you to come back because you wanted to, not because you felt obligated to." He shrugged.

"What if I didn't come back because I felt obligated to?" I asked quietly, not quite meeting his gaze.

"What are you saying, Sookie?" He voice was entirely free of emotions.

"I don't know what I'm saying," I got up and wandered away from him, pretending to examine the generic landscape painting on the wall.

"You've gotten very good at shutting the bond down," He observed and I turned around, "It used to be very patchy; I would get glimpses of what you were feeling, but now..." He smiled again, watching me with something very close to admiration. "I'm proud of you, Sookie. You've become a great vampire."

"What about Runa?" I asked coolly, "Are you proud of her, too?"

"I haven't seen her since the night you left, Sookie," His expression sobered.

"Why would you not see your wife?" I briefly congratulated myself on remaining entirely neutral.

"I'm pretty sure not seeing each other for twelve hundred years is considered annulment in most countries," Eric remarked as if discussing the weather.

"I thought so, too," I nodded, "But then again, I also thought it meant that you would be over her, and I was wrong."

"I _am_ over her!" Eric's calm facade faltered.

"Then why did you tell her you loved her? Why did you kiss her if you were over her?"

"Because I can't _not_ love her, Sookie," He threw his hands up in the air. "I can't just make myself stop caring for her. She used to be my best friend, Sookie, she used to be my wife. I can't not care about her because I hadn't seen her in over a thousand years."

"So, what, you thought I wouldn't understand that?"

"You never gave me the chance to explain!"

"Just like I never gave you the chance to tell me she wasn't dead?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't say anything, Eric; that was the problem." Eric slid out of bed, standing barefoot in front of me. I hated that his close proximity still made my heart ache with longing and that I was fighting the urge to kiss him, to lean into him and pretend that past year hadn't happened.

"I ordered her away," He pushed me against the wall, bracing hands on either side of my head.

"Get back into bed, Eric," I pressed myself into the wall, doing my best to creep away from him.

"I commanded her, as her maker, to leave and never come back, Sookie."

"You should be lying down," I carefully avoided his gaze.

"I can handle standing for five minutes," He retorted dismissively, but his face suddenly looked even more gaunt. "I love you."

"Eric, don't..."

"Don't what? Love you?" He brought his face even closer, his eyes boring into mine. "I can't. I can't stop, Sookie. I wouldn't even if I could."

"I know." Eric cocked his head to the side, studying me just before he leaned forward.

"Eric, no." I pushed firmly against his chest and he stumbled back, his eyes blank. "You can't do that. You can't just break my heart and then expect me to be okay with it. That's not the way it works." He wavered slightly on his feet. "Now get back into bed."

"I love you," He told me.

"I know," I walked over and helped him back into bed, feeling his eyes on me the entire time. "Eric, I..."

He nodded, "Go."

"I don't, I mean, I can, if you want me to..."

"Sookie, I understand." He levelled me with his gaze, and after decades of knowing him, I was still shocked at the detached look on his face.

"Bye." I mumbled, grabbing my bag and slipping out before I changed my mind.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: I... have nothing to say. OH, wait, I do. Thanks for making my inbox explode, you guys! It made my week :D Super short chapter, but hey, cliff-hanger :) More reviews are always welcome (and encouraged).

***************************************

"I didn't think you were going to come back," Eric commented when I walked in the next night, a mere few hours before dawn.

"I didn't know if I was," I admitted and closed the door behind me. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Pam leave already?"

"I made her," He smiled at me, crossing his ankles. He was still dressed in only a pair of sweatpants, his chest bare, and I struggled not to let my eyes wander down his body. As hurt as I may have been by him, Eric was still the most gorgeous man I had ever had the fortune to sleep with, and his being half-naked was not helping.

"She's just trying to take care of you." I put down my purse on a chair by the bathroom and settled myself down on the corner of his mattress.

"I don't need her to."

"You're going to be king soon," I pulled my hair into a ponytail for lack of a better thing to do, though that proved to be a bad idea as it only drew his eyes to my chest; I dropped my arms. "Might as well get used to people trying to take care of you when you don't need it."

"What do you think?" He asked.

"About what?"

"Me becoming king."

"It doesn't matter what I think," I paused, "It doesn't matter what you think, either, apparently."

"I care what you think," He pressed stubbornly.

I sighed, "I think it's ridiculous. I think you never wanted to be king, so you shouldn't have to be, but you're too old and too powerful to remain a sheriff in a state like Louisiana."

Eric nodded, "It was bound to happen."

"I hadn't put much thought into it, honestly."

"I had. I had assumed you would be at my side." His tone was simple, honest.

"Yes, well, you know what they say happens when you assume." I muttered, half to myself.

Eric chuckled, rather bitterly. We sat silently for a while, both unsure of what to say until Eric scooted over in his bed and patted the space beside him.

"Come on."

I hesitated for a second before sliding my shoes off and crawling into bed next to him. _It doesn't mean anything_, I assured myself, _he's sick. I will deal with things once he he's better._ That's what I kept telling myself even as I rested my arm on his stomach and put my head on his chest. He curled one arm around me and held me until dawn came and I fell asleep.

***

I woke up in bed with Eric.

_Will you never learn?_ I asked myself as I sat up. The man himself was calmly regarding me, one hand under his head.

"Evening," The corners of his mouth quirked upwards.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, self-consciously smoothing my hair and clothes.

His eyes followed the movements, "You look beautiful," He reached out and took my hand. "And I'm feeling fine. Well enough to go home." I chorused the last part with him and we both laughed, my hand still in his. I cleared my throat as the moment got awkward and gently removed my hand. He put the hand back under his head, looking entirely unfazed.

"I love you,"

"That doesn't make everything right," I reminded him gently.

"Then what does, Sookie?"

"We need to talk, Eric, you know that." I drew patterns on his stomach, absently playing with the hair leading from his belly button to his waistband.

"Then talk!" He sat up, scooting closer to me, "Talk to me, Sookie."

"Not now," I frowned, "There's time. Later."

"You feel bad about reaming me out while I'm in the hospital?" He exclaimed incredulously. I chuckled and shook my head. "And yes, maybe there is time later, but aren't you sick of waiting?" He turned my face towards him, "I miss you, Sookie."

"I'm right here," I muttered.

"Right."

"Eric,"

"Don't do that." He lay back in the bed.

"Do what?"

"Say my name with that voice."

I gave him a long look, "When you feel better, we will talk." I promised him, but he didn't look convinced. "We will, I promise you."

Eric opened his mouth to respond but I never got the chance to hear it, because that was the moment he began seizing.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: This is the longest chapter I have written in a long time, and a lot happens, so don't hesitate to tell me what you think of it! Much love to everyone who continues to review; you make my life.

Let me know what you think!!

***************************************

"Eric? Eric!" I stumbled out of his bed just as the door burst open and Dr. Ludwig strode in, looking very displeased. "Eric; please, help him!" Pink foam was forming at the corners of his mouth, his body thrashing horribly. He arched his back, crashing back onto the bed and shaking the metal frame, his body tangled in the sheets.

"Eric, baby, please-"

"Oh, calm down!" Ludwig snapped at me, and for the first time I noticed the surgical needle in her hand.

"Oh, that's big," I babbled, "That's really big."

"Hold him down!" She hollered at the nurses hurrying into the room, but I knew they wouldn't be able to. They were a mix of humans and were, neither of whom were capable of holding a vampire down.

"I'll do it," I told her with tears streaming down my face. It took me a while to be able to get a hold on him, but I finally managed to crawl on top of him and pin him down. "Okay," I whispered, "I got it."

"Hold him still," Ludwig instructed and I nodded. She could barely look over the bed, but she still managed to aim the needle at his next and inject him with the dark liquid inside. Eric immediately stilled under me.

"What... what happened?" I asked shakily, "He isn't waking up. Why isn't he waking up."

"He might not," Ludwig told me gravely.

"_What_?"

"I'm guessing he skipped the last two doses of his medicine?" She shot me a questioning look.

"I don't know," I was still on top of Eric, my mind too numb to signal me to move off of him, "I wasn't here yesterday."

"He emptied the cups," A young blonde nurse said quietly, "We thought he had started drinking it, but I guess not."

"That's why you stay and make sure he does!" Ludwig snapped.

"So what does this mean?" I looked at my husband; he looked like he was sleeping, like he would wake up any second and smile at me. "I thought the antidote was supposed to help him!"

"The antidote isn't exactly an antidote."

"What the hell does that mean?" I was shaking again, though this time with suppressed anger.

"The silver was progressing rapidly enough through his body to make me think that there was some sort of additive in it, an additive that I've never seen before. All the medicine did was considerably slow down its progressive and give us time to find him a cure."

"And when he stopped taking it..." I drifted off, too afraid to finish the thought.

"When he stopped, it began poisoning him again. He may be too far gone to-"

"No," I interrupted angrily, "He will wake up. He'll wake up and he will be fine... Right?" Defeated, I looked at Dr. Ludwig. "Right?"

"I don't know," She told me calmly, "His body may need time to regenerate, if it can, so he will be asleep for a while. Or he may be past the point of healing at all, and we have no way of knowing which unless he wakes up."

"No," I shook my head, turning back to my husband, "No, Eric, you've gotta wake up. Please, for me, just wake up. Please. Please, Eric, please, please..."

"Out," I heard Ludwig order and then came the quiet _click_ of the door closing.

"It's okay," A familiar voice nearby startled me.

"I didn't know you were here," I mumbled through my sobs, clutching at Eric's hands.

"I just got here." Bill murmured.

"Did you hear Ludwig...?"

"Yes," He put his arms around me, "Come on, Sookie, get down."

"I don't- I don't want to," I sobbed.

"You can sit beside him, but you need to get off of him." Bill gently lifted me off of my husband and onto the floor, and I immersed myself in his arms.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" I wept.

"He will."

"What if he doesn't?" My body shook with the violent sobs, and so Bill began to stroke my back soothingly.

"Shh, Sookie," He sighed into my hair and I tucked my face against his neck.

"I didn't even know vampires could seize! Whatever the hell happened to being indestructible?" I babbled wretchedly.

"I guess it was just the additive," I pulled away from Bill and turned back to my husband who was lying peacefully on the bed. I winced; I had never seen Eric like this before as he required less rest than me, so he fell asleep after me and awakened before. He was always so full of life when I saw him, so undeniably _alive_ that I found this state of him haunting.

"Eric?" My voice shook, "Eric, please wake up, baby, please? You've got to wake up, you can't just leave me like this..." My voice deteriorated into sobs once again. Bill pushed a chair right next to Eric's bed and tugged me into it. Pam arrived a while later, looking haggard and upset, but I ignored her. All I could do was sit beside Eric and stare at his face, hoping that I could wake him up with just the power of my mind.

The... power of my mind?

I sat up straight. Could it work? If he was still in there, if there was _any _chance of him... it was worth a try, at the very least. I closed my eyes and tried to locate the connection to Eric's mind I had shut down months ago. I could feel it, that place in my mind that wasn't quite mine, but I was having difficulties latching on to it.

"Sookie?" I heard Pam move near me.

"Wait," I whispered to her and concentrated harder. If I could just... yes! The bond opened uneasily, as if disuse had left it corroded and out of form. With a little more encouragement, I was inside Eric's mind... and it was dark. I fought back the growing sense of despair and kept looking. _There has to be something, there just has to._ Yes, there! A tiny flicker of light, of thought and consciousness: too small to take form.

'_Eric?' _I sent, _'Eric, wake up. Eric? I love you, please, baby, wake up? Eric! Eric! ERIC NORTHMAN!'_

_"_Owwww..." A low voice mumbled and my eyes snapped open.

"Eric?" Bill and Pam were standing beside me, both with their mouths hanging open. "Eric..." I sat beside him on the bed, my hands fluttering and brushing his cheeks and jaw.

"Sookie..." He mumbled, frowning with his eyes still closed.

"I'm right here," I grabbed his hands, smiling when I felt him give mine a small squeeze.

"Eric," Pam breathed and Eric's features softened.

"Hey, Pam," He paused, took a deep breath, and opened one eye, "Bill."

"Eric."

"What happened?" He opened both eyes slowly and blinked at me.

"You didn't drink your medicine, did you?" I asked though I already knew the answer.

"I didn't need it," He sighed, his eyes closing again.

Bill cleared his throat and muttered, "I'll go tell Ludwig." Pam paused, shooting us a look before hurrying after him.

"You stupid, stupid man," I shook my head at him once the door had closed behind Pam, clutching Eric's hands tighter. "You could have gotten yourself killed. For good." I added hastily when I saw his mouth open.

"But I didn't," He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again, focusing on me.

"You scared me," I told him quietly.

"I'm sorry, love," His voice was soft, and then he looked alarmed, expecting me to chastise him for calling me "love".

"Don't let it happen again," I smiled at him and he looked relieved. He moved over awkwardly and shot me a questioning look. My smile widened, and I crawled next to him, holding him tightly against me.

"Thank you for being here," He kissed my hair.

"I love you, you know," I mumbled, feeling him tense. "That hasn't changed. I wished it would, for the longest time I just wanted to get over you and move on so that I could pretend... So that I could pretend that you were nothing to me." I put a hand on his chin and turned his head to face mine. "But I still love you, so much, and even though that hasn't changed, how much I trust you, has. You're going to need to gain back my trust, and until then, you need to work your ass off and get better so that you have the chance to make things right with me. And that means taking your damned medicine even if I'm not here to pour it down your throat. Understood?"

Eric nodded, "I'm sorry. I am so sorry for everything. If I had known that keeping secrets from you would have hurt you as much as it did, if I had known how badly it was going to affect us, I would have told you the first chance I got."

I smiled sadly, "I'm going to pretend that was the near-death experience talking, but thank you."

"I love you."

"I know." He carefully closed the distance between us, moving as if afraid to scare me away. He pressed his lips to mine, and when I didn't protest, he deepened the kiss, turning so that he was on his side. I let myself get lost in his kiss, trying to forget that I had nearly lost _him_. His hands, instead of roaming my body, held mine.

"You're crying," He whispered.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Shut up and kiss me." Eric kissed my cheeks and the tears, and then brought my hands up to his lips.

"Sorry," He chuckled.

"You stupid, stupid man," I repeated, leaning my forehead against his. "You're lucky I'm forgiving."

"I am," He grinned, "I am so very lucky."

"And don't you forget it."

"I won't," He promised, "Never again." There was a knock at the door and Dr. Ludwig walked in, trailed by Bill and Pam.

"Get out of my patient's bed," She snapped at me, and I did, Eric looking very unhappy at my obedience. "Drink this." She held out an entire bottle of the not-antidote.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be joking!" Eric exclaimed.

"Do I look like I am?" She really didn't. Eric looked at me and found me glaring at him.

"Fine," He grumbled, grabbing the bottle and chugging it. He handed me the bottle when he was done, shooting me a sour look as he did.

"Good boy," I murmured as Ludwig made a satisfied noise and turned to leave.

"Whoa, wait!" I called after her and she spun around to face me. "How's the cure-finding going?"

"Better than I thought," She responded curtly.

"So, you might have something soon?" I asked hesitantly. Ludwig nodded, albeit reluctantly. "How soon?" I pressed, and she sighed.

"At this rate, we should have something within a month..."

"But he might not have that long?" I finished for her and she gave me a long look before nodding. I turned to my husband, sitting calmly in his bed and watching me.

"Eric-"

"I'll be fine."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

"_Fuck_!" I muttered and turned away from him. Behind me, I heard Eric move and then ask Bill and Pam to leave. They did, closing their door behind them.

"Sookie," I heard his feet shuffle against the ground and turned.

"Get back into bed." I ordered, my face streaked with tears.

"Stop crying, and I will."

"I can't help it," I wiped at the tears, "Now get back into bed."

"The bond..." He gasped suddenly, "Sookie, that was actually you? It was your voice I heard in my head!" I nodded and gently led him back to the bed, where he settled himself on the edge of his mattress. "You opened the bond." He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but to smile back. "You're still crying."

"You're dying."

"It's a distinct possibility," He nodded thoughtfully, "but it's not going to happen."

I sat down beside him, "If you die, I will kill you."

"Except then you would get prosecuted for murdering the king, and that sort of thing is frowned upon, lover." He pointed out casually, "Or so I hear."

"You're not the king yet." I pointed out, carefully avoiding his gaze,

"Oh, well, then I guess you can go ahead and do as you please." He snaked an arm around my waist and we sat there, not saying a word for the longest time.

"Oh my God!" I gasped, jumping onto my feet.

"What?"

"I can't believe I didn't-" I hurried to my purse, rummaging around for the tiny lightweight phone. "I'll be right back!" I called over my shoulder as I hurried out of Eric's room, ignoring his startled calls. I dialled as I ran down the stairs and pressed the last button just as I stepped out of the warehouse and into the dark alley. I stood in the crisp air with the phone to my ear, praying for my call to be picked up, sighing in relief when I heard the familiar voice greet me.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Uh, sorry about the long wait, everybody. I am ashamed; it's been 3 weeks! On the bright side, my average in Bio 12 is in the 90's! Does anybody care? No? Okay. Anyways.

Let me know what you think :D

******************************

It took me a second to realize that the voice wasn't coming from the phone, and that the person I had called was now standing behind me.

"Niall!" I exclaimed happily as I turned around.

"Hello, great-granddaughter," Niall smiled, and I was once again struck by his ethereal beauty. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, his hair brushing against my shoulder as he did.

"Long time, no see!"

Niall raised an eyebrow at my use of the vernacular, but nodded, "You were not in Louisiana for a while, I understand."

"No," My smile faded, "I left."

"Did the vampire do anything improper?" My great-grandfather asked, his tone tinged with displeasure: my husband had never been Niall's favourite. Not only was he a vampire, but he was also a vampire who had turned me against my will, and the fact that neither one of us had been given any other options made no difference to Niall. To him, he would always be the vampire that had turned his part-fairy great-granddaughter into a bloodsucking leech, and that wasn't a small crime in Niall's eyes.

I chuckled awkwardly, "Yes, but that's alright. I think I punished him enough myself."

Anger flashed in his eyes, "Was he unfaithful?"

"Yes," I sighed, not seeing a point in lying to the man from whom I was about to ask for help.

"Do you want me to kill him?" The calm with which he said this sent shivers down my spine.

"No!" I replied immediately, "No, quite the opposite, actually." I told Niall the whole story in a hurry, not wanting to waste any more time. I told him about Runa and the battle of Vegas, my discovery of Runa and Eric's shared past and how I had walked out. When I was done telling him about Eric's current state, he was quite for a long time.

"So, do you think you can help him?" I asked hesitantly, "I mean, I know you don't like him, even less so now that you know what he's done, but please, great-grandfather. Please." I bit back the tears and suddenly realized just how much I was depending on this; on him helping me out.

"Child, he broke his vows to you. He hurt you." Niall was entirely unperturbed and I had to fight to keep myself from falling to my knees.

"I know. I know what he did; I know he doesn't deserve my forgiveness or my love because he broke my heart. I know all this, but I still can't just let him die. I can't step back and let him suffer, because doing that will make _me_ suffer." I stepped forward and took my great-grandfather's hands in mine, "I know you don't like him. I know you hate him for turning me, I even know that you're not nearly as fond of me anymore because I became a vampire, but please, do this one thing for me. Save my husband."

Niall regarded me for a long time, his beautiful hair blowing softly in the wind, and I was grateful that he had not forgotten to hide his scent from me.

"I cannot help him here, Sookie," Niall said at last, "We have healers in our world, but their lives are valued and I am not willing to bring them to this world. If you want my help, I will have to take him with me to my realm, Sookie."

"Are you sure that's safe?" I bit my lip.

"I can make arrangements," Niall nodded gravely.

"And they will for sure be able to help him?"

He seemed to find my uncertainty insulting, "Of course."

"When can you take us?" I asked finally.

My great-grandfather paused, "I cannot take you with me, Sookie."

I blinked, "Why not?"

"Taking a vampire to the fairy realm is a risk in itself, taking two is practically madness."

"We won't do anything!" My eyes widened, "You can trust us!"

"It is not my people I am worried about, child," He told me gently, "Your presence may result in an attack. I can protect Eric, but I cannot protect both of you against someone who is set on killing you. I would rather not take that chance."

I sighed and bit back the rest of my argument, "Are you sure he will be okay?" His glare told me he was. "Alright, alright, when?"

"Tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

"Good-bye, child." He leaned down and kissed my forehead in farewell.

"Thank you so much, Niall. Thank you." And with a pop, my great-grandfather was gone.

***

Eric was studying a file when I walked back in, animatedly discussing it with Pam.

"I told him he didn't have my approval," Eric was muttering as I approached his room, "What kind of an idiot would think a store called _Vampirotic_ would attract customers across from a Catholic church?? He is going to get burned down within the week."

"Well, he obviously decided that your twelve hundred years of experience with humans is insufficient," Pam smirked as I entered.

"Fucking newborns," My husband shook his head and then looked up, smiling when he saw me. "Where did you go?" He put the file on his bedside table and held out a hand to me.

"I had to make a call." I perched on the edge of his bed, "Did Bill leave?"

"Yes," Pam rolled her eyes, "He said he would see you later."

"Oh," I turned back to Eric, "I need to talk to you."

Eric raised an eyebrow, "Go on."

"Niall thinks he can get his fairy healers to help you," I began uncertainly.

"That's who you called." Eric mused, and I nodded even though it wasn't a question.

"Yes. But he won't bring his healers here. You will have to go with him."

"To their realm?" Pam spoke for the first time, disbelief colouring her features.

I looked at her, having known full well what her reaction would be before I even walked in. "Yes, to Lunea."

"No, thank you." Eric said steadily, defiance glistening in his eyes.

"What do you mean 'no, thank you'? He's willing to help you!" I struggled with getting a hold of my irritation.

"I'm not going to trust a fairy to take me into another realm to _help_ me." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Eric, you're going to die without it!"

"You don't know that." Unlike me, Eric seemed ill at ease. "Let me do this my way."

"We _did_ do it your way! We did it your way and you spent the day in your unlocked office! We did it your way and you decided you didn't need to take your medicine!"

"I will be _fine_, Sookie!"

"Just because you're too fucking proud to admit that something might be able to kill you, doesn't mean that it won't!"

"This isn't pride, this is confidence."

"Then I hope you and your overconfidence are happy together, because I'm not gonna stand by and watch you kill yourself."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you either do this, or I want a divorce."

Surprise shot across his features, "You're bluffing."

I gritted my teeth, "Try me."

There was a pause until Eric turned to Pam, "Go back to Fangtasia; tell that idiot Richards to shut down his store if he doesn't want his final death to be within the next two weeks."

Grumbling, Pam stomped out, muttering about missing all the fun and fucking married couples. Eric waited until she had slammed the door shut behind her before turning back to me. "You would divorce me if I didn't accept your great-grandfather's help?"

"Yes."

"He didn't offer his help; you asked him."

"I begged him," I corrected coldly, "For you. I stepped on my own pride and begged Niall to help you when I know he's uncomfortable with me. When I know he dislikes you. I still begged, because no matter how much you hurt me, I still can't let you die." Eric scowled and looked away from me. I climbed into his bed, straddling his legs as I sat in his lap. Entwining my fingers with his, I looked into his eyes.

"This isn't a suggestion, Eric."

"It's _my _life, it should be my choice." He growled.

I chuckled, "See, that's where you're wrong. It's not your life, it's _ours_. You dying won't just suck for you; it'll kill me, too." I abandoned his hands to cup his face in mine. "It's okay to admit you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

"I am," I smiled weakly, "I don't want to send you to another realm where I can't follow. I don't trust anyone to take care of you, but I've accepted that I can't personally help you, and I can find someone who can. And I did. I'm trusting somebody else with your life, and I need you to trust me with that." Eric scowled again, and tried to turn away from me, but I forced him to face me. "_Trust me_. After two hundred years of marriage, I have earned your absolute trust."

_'I don't know how to do this, Sookie.'_ The thought slipped unbidden through the bond, Eric looking at me in alarm when he realized what had just happened.

"Nobody does."

"I've been alive for longer than all of civilization; I should!"

"When was the last time you were dying and your wife could help you but you were too proud to accept her help?" I grinned, though I was sure it didn't reach my eyes.

Eric scoffed, but his lips were ever-so-slightly turned up in a smile, "Fine, I will do it." I bent down to claim his mouth in a kiss and he responded by tightening his arms around me.

"You're leaving tomorrow," I told him once we'd pulled apart and he groaned and hid his face in my neck, calling me a heartless woman as he did. "We will talk when you come back, okay?" Eric lifted his head and scanned my face, searching for any hints of humour in them. Having found me to be quite serious, he smiled and kissed me again.

***

"Are you sure he'll be okay?" I asked Niall for what must have been the thousandth time.

"Do you not trust me, Sookie?"

Had I been human, I would have blushed, "Of course I do."

"I will protect your husband, child."

"I don't need protection," Eric grumbled as he put on a t-shirt. Smiling, I walked over and smoothed his hair, enjoying the excuse I had to touch him.

"Your argument would be more compelling had you not slept unprotected in your office," Niall pointed out airily and Eric scowled at him.

"Stop it," I chastised my husband quietly and he glared at me. "Come here." I held his hands in mine, "I packed your bag for you, and I put anything I could think of that you might need."

"We will care for him, Sookie," Niall sighed, clearly fed up with my fussiness.

"No, I know," I nodded vehemently, "I just- I mean, you're fairies and you might forget that he needs blood or-"

"Sookie," Niall's voice warned me and I stopped talking.

"I'm sorry," I bit my lip, "It's just that there isn't anything for me to do, so I'm pretending to be useful by doing pointless things. Like packing a bag."

Niall all but rolled his eyes, "I will wait for you outside, Northman."

"You'll be okay," I stroked Eric's hair back from his face, "You'll be fine."

"Are you assuring me or yourself?" Eric smiled knowingly.

"I don't know," I chuckled. "Be nice, okay? Let them help you."

Eric sighed, "I will. I'm not going to actively piss off my in-laws."

"Yes, you are." I grinned and he did, too, his blue eyes filling with mischief for the first time since I had been back. "He already hates you a little bit because of the Runa thing."

He groaned and leaned into me, "You _told_ him?"

"Lying to him would not have encouraged him to help!" I defended and he groaned again, resting his forehead against mine. "It'll be okay." I stroked his face before throwing my arms around him and pressing myself against his body.

"Don't be afraid," He murmured into my ear.

"One of us has to be." I kissed his neck and tightened my arms, and Eric responded by lifting me up from the floor until he wasn't bending down anymore.

"I love you."

"Say it again."

"I love you," He chuckled, "Do you believe me?"

"Shouldn't I?"

Eric put me down, "No, you should." He pressed his lips against mine, "Thank you for coming back to me."

"Why, Mr. Northman, are you going soft on me?" I teased.

Eric growled and kissed me again.

"You should go." I sighed at last.

"Okay," He broke away obediently. Having made sure he had his packed bag with him, I followed my husband and my great-grandfather out into the street, watching them as they disappeared, Eric waving at me as they did.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Sorry about the huge wait, everybody. First of all, my laptop got a virus that I tried to deal with but failed, so then I had to pay someone to get it fixed, and that took a few weeks. Also, I've been super busy with school and it was my birthday on Saturday! So yay :)

Also, this is NOT how I originally wanted to story to progress. After that last chapter, though, so many of you expressed your concern about the next chapters that I started thinking "what if...?" and so, this new plot was developed. Um, I don't know what I'm gonna do with the other version of this chapter that I wrote; maybe cuddle it 'till I fall asleep every night because I love it, but I guess we'll see?

Anyways, sorry about the short length (that'swhatshesaid) and lemme know what you think!! Thanks for the continues support, by the way :)

* * *

"Sookie," Niall appeared in the middle of my hotel suite, eliciting something just short of a shriek from me.

"Jesus, Niall!" I jumped up from the couch and hurried towards my great-grandfather, kissing him on the cheek and smiling expectantly.

"How are you, child?" Niall continued to hold my hand.

"Alright," I responded with as much patience as I could muster, "Any news?" For the first time since I had been introduced to my fae great-grandfather, Niall looked reluctant.

"Sookie, the poison was far more advanced than we had expected," he began cautiously and I felt my knees go weak before I quickly pulled myself together.

"What does that mean?"

"He's alive," Niall replied quickly, "But he's different, child."

I frowned and continued to fight the rising sense of panic; I would have felt something in the bond if something terrible had happened, wouldn't I? Even though he had pretty much blipped off of my radar, I would have sensed strong pain, I was sure of that. "Different how, Niall?" Niall gave me a long look, as if trying to decide if I was ready for whatever he had in store for me. After a moment, he walked to the door, his stride graceful and weightless as he did. He glanced back at me before finally turning the knob and pulling the door open, standing aside to allow me to see... what? There was nobody there for the longest time, which caused me to resort to my other senses. Whoever was in the hallway was human: I could almost hear his heart pump his delicious blood through his veins. That was the other part: his blood, even from this distance, smelled magnificent. I paused, considering probing his mind but hesitant to invade the privacy of a stranger so readily.

"Niall, what-" The human finally stepped into the doorway and I froze, my every muscle tensing in horror at what I was seeing. "No way. No way. Niall, what the _hell_?" Niall looked at me expressionlessly.

"Hey, Sook," Eric smiled at me hesitantly, his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his jeans.

"You're human," I exclaimed, "This is impossible. Niall, you brought him to life?!"

Niall closed the door, "It was the only way to save him."

"Did you ask him if he wanted to be human?" I was sure Eric hadn't wanted it, and I was right.

"No, he didn't," Eric supplied softly, shooting an angry look at Niall.

"You would have died your final death otherwise," Niall replied calmly. I glanced at Niall but returned my gaze to my husband.

"Are you okay?" I asked him gently, and he nodded curtly.

"I'll leave you two alone," Niall announced and made to leave.

"Niall, wait," I shot a small smile at Eric and followed my great grandfather out into the hallway outside my suite. "Bring me back to life," I whispered once we were outside.

"I can't, Sookie."

"Why not?" Tears of desperation threatened to fill my eyes, "You turned him, why can't you do the same to me?"

"Because it's not that simple, Sookie. We do not just bring every vampire to life. In our history, only one other vampire was brought back to life and the fairy that authorized it was greatly punished."

My eyes widened, "Will you be punished?"

"No, child," he smiled and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, "My authorization was justified."

"Please turn me back, Niall." I begged, "Please. I would do anything."

"I thought you were happy?"

"I am! I was, but I never knew this was an option!"

"Sookie," he chastised gently and I bit back the tears.

"Please."

"Discuss this with your husband. I will be back another day."

"Niall!"

"Sookie." He silenced me with one look, "Talk to your husband."

And with that, my great grandfather vanished.

***

I took a moment to wipe away my tears before returning to the suite to find Eric walking out of the bathroom, cautiously sniffing his hands.

"Where did you go?" I asked.

"Bathroom," he gestured at the door before looking back down at his hands, "The soap smells funny."

"It smells like peach," I had to smile.

"I can't smell the chemicals anymore," he muttered unhappily.

"Come here," I pulled him into my arms, feeling him tense as he felt my cool body and I felt his warm one. "Are you okay?"

"Turn me, Sookie."

"Eric-"

"I don't want this. I liked being a vampire; this wasn't my choice." He pulled back, though his arms were still around my waist.

"Eric, for the first time in hundreds of years, you're human!" I protested, "You can breathe, you can eat, you can go out into the sun-"

"I can die," he interrupted.

"Nobody knows you're mortal."

"I'm to be king, Sookie. How are you going to explain this to the others?"

I cupped his face in my hands, feeling him shiver from the cold, "We have some time. Give this a try, Eric. Don't you want to see the sunrise?"

"You won't be there," was his quiet response.

I chuckled, "No, I suppose I won't."

"You want this more than I do."

"Probably."

"Is that what you asked Niall? You asked him to turn you?" I nodded wordlessly. "But you will grow old. You will die. You want that?"

"I don't know, Eric. I don't know what I want."

Eric cocked his head until he had caught my gaze before speaking. "Would you become human even if I were a vampire again?" I looked at him, hating the dilemma that I was being forced to deal with. "I love you."

"I know," I leaned my forehead against his and closed my eyes, relishing his scent and the vibrations of his heart beating in his chest. I smiled at the soft tickle of his breath on my face and turned my face up to kiss him.

_'Sookie...'_ he sighed in his mind and deepened the kiss.

_'I love you,' _I pressed myself against him.

"Hey, I can hear you," he mused, breaking away.

I smiled and kissed his cheek, "I guess the bond is intact." He brushed his thumbs against my cheek.

"Turn me," he whispered.

"I can't!"

"Why not?" Frustration crept unto his features.

"Because being human is the one thing I want the most, and I can't bring myself to take it from you." I mumbled against his jaw, and he sighed.

"Even if I want my immortality back?"

"How am I supposed to do it, Eric?" My voice thickened with the tears, "How am I supposed to take away the one thing that you haven't had for twelve hundred years? How am I supposed to kill you?"

"I won't be dead, Sookie!" He tightened his arms around me and pressed his forehead to mine. I was surprised to feel his hot tears on my face.

"I can become human, just like you!" I insisted, "We can just live like a normal human couple, Eric. We can go out during the day, we can... have kids."

"Sookie," Eric looked genuinely shocked.

"Don't you want that?" I half-begged, "_Our_ kids? With, I dunno, your eyes and my nose? We can do that if we're both human. We can raise them like humans."

"And always tell them the story of how we once lived for hundreds of years?"

"We can figure it out!"

"No, we can't, Sookie, because I don't want mortality."

"Fine, then you don't have to stay human!"

He rolled his eyes, "So, what, I'll stay human long enough to conceive and then peace out?"

"_Peace out_? Who says you have to _peace out_?"

"I won't be awake during the day, Sookie." He seethed, "Any child we conceive won't be mine, she'll be yours."

"You think we'll have a girl?" I smiled.

"Focus, Sookie!"

Bubble burst. "Fine!"

"And I would outlive both you and our child," he pointed out.

"This is how it used to be, Eric. How it was _supposed_ to be."

He squinted, "Huh, I didn't realize our marriage was an abomination."

I sighed, "That's not what I meant, Eric, and you know it."

"Do I? I thought you were happy, Sookie. I thought you were used to the idea."

"To the idea of not being alive? Of never seeing the sun? I accepted it, Eric, I can't be used to it!" Eric scoffed and looked away, and I leaned my head to the side in order to catch his gaze, "And is it so bad to have the option?"

"You don't _want_ to _have_ the option, Sookie! _You want to live the damn option!_"

" 'Live' being the operative term here!"

"You know what, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I made you so _fucking_ miserable for two hundred years!" I was not aware of it; I didn't even make a conscious decision to do it, but the next moment I was slapping Eric across the face. The fact that he was merely a human hit methen, when the scent of the blood trickling from the torn inside of his cheek reached me.

"That was very fitting." He commented bitterly, licking at the inside of his mouth, "Slapped in the face by vampirism; how appropriate."

"I'm not sorry," I said defiantly.

He let out a bark of a laugh, "Wouldn't be Sookie if you were." I stared at him wordlessly for several long moments.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go to bed, 'cause, y'know, I'm a vampire and everything." I said at last, my voice cold.

"Right, how could I forget."

"You can't. It's pretty damn hard." I snapped back and stomped to my room, slamming the door and crawling under the covers, fleetingly hoping that Eric would have the sense to sleep on my couch instead of leaving before I fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Hey. Long chapter. Just wanted to say that even though I don't respond to every single review (because, honestly, I do have to maintain a certain class average), I do read all of them, and so thank you for every single one of them :) Lemme know what you think!!!!

* * *

A warm hand stroking my hair back from my face made me snap upright in bed, my fangs already out.

"Whoa, hey," Eric pulled back his hand.

"Oh," I frowned and forced my fangs back in. "Hi."

Eric smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling in the way that only warm human skin can. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"I know, it wasn't your fault." I pushed aside the sheets and sat next to him on the edge of the bed. "I just wasn't expecting a..."

"Human?" He quirked a brow.

I sighed, "Yes." Eric turned on the bed, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear in the way that I had gotten used to. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine. I moved backwards on the bed and leaned back on the pillows, tugging on his shirt to bring him down on top of me.

"Sookie," he sighed, kissing my neck and then moving down to push my shirt up, kissing his way back up to my breasts. I lifted myself up so he could slide my shirt off entirely before laying back down. We stared at each other, and I reached up to trace his slightly parted lips. I pressed my thumb against his teeth, where his fangs used to be, before he took my hand and kissed it.

"You're crying," he mused softly, his eyes widening.

"Am I?" I wiped at the reddish tears, though more appeared almost instantly. He kissed me again, slowly, carefully, and I began crying.

"Sookie," he looked helpless, as if humanity had softened the edge that a thousand years had created, and that only made more tears fall. My husband sat back and pulled me into his lap, letting me wrap my legs around his waist.

"I'm sorry," I murmured against his lips, moving down to kiss him at the base of his neck, closing my eyes and breathing in the scent of his blood.

"Go ahead," he whispered, and I pulled back to look at him. "Go on. I know you want to."

I twirled a piece of his hair around my finger, "Are you sure?" He brushed away my tears and kissed me, murmuring "yes" against my lips. I kissed my way down the line of his jaw, stopping at the place where I could all but feel his artery pulsating against my lips. I hesitated for only a moment before sinking my fangs into his flesh. He jerked, gasping when I began sucking before relaxing and moving his hands restlessly up and down my body. I stopped long before it became dangerous for him, making sure to lick the wound closed before moving back up to kiss his mouth, swallowing his moans.

"That felt so good," he moaned.

"Are you feeling okay? I didn't take too much, I don't think-"

He silenced me with his mouth, pushing me back until I was lying under him on the bed, "I'm more than okay, lover." He sat back to pull his shirt off and to nudge my legs apart before unhooking my bra and tossing it aside, my pyjama bottoms quickly joining the rest of my clothes. I sat up to unbutton his jeans and push them and his boxer-briefs down his hips, ducking down to kiss his chest and abdomen. He was back on top of me a moment later, reaching down to position himself at my entrance and pushing in slowly, keeping his eyes on mine the entire time. His hands clasped mine, holding them above my head as he began moving inside me, establishing an easy, languid rhythm.

"Beautiful," he breathed against my jaw. I couldn't speak; his eyes were practically glowing bright blue, the rhythm of his heart was on counter-rhythm with his hips, and his warmth was seeping into my skin. Turning my head to kiss him, I pressed my feet into his ass and pushed him further into me. He groaned and cursed in Old Norse, sucking lazily at my skin and no doubt leaving marks that healed instantly. I moaned his name as I felt my climax approaching, the pressure building steadily.

"Oh god," I moaned. "Bite me." Eric chuckled darkly and ducked his head to my neck, pausing to press a kiss into the soft flesh before biting hard and sucking roughly. I cried out and bucked against his body, the wave of pleasure washed over me as I tensed around him, my back arching as he came inside of me. We lay in silence for a long time before he gently extricated himself and lay down beside me, pulling me into him. I closed my eyes and listened to his heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat, smiling when he spoke and his voice reverberated in his chest.

"I missed you, lover."

"We weren't apart for that long," I pointed out, smiling.

"I missed having sex with you," he clarified with a mischievous smile.

My smile widened and I kissed his chest, letting my hands wander down to grab a hold of my favourite asset of his. Eric gasped, looking scandalized.

"I'd forgotten what it's like to have sex as a human," he mused lightly a moment later.

"I'd never had sex with a human," I mused in response, shocking myself with the absolute truth of it. "Even when I was alive, I could never have sex with a human because of how easily I could read their minds."

"You were a human virgin," Eric murmured into my hair, chuckling a little. I turned my head and stroked the side of his face.

"You went outside, didn't you? In the sunlight?"

He stared at me for the longest time, "Yes."

I smiled, "I figured that's what that scent was. Your skin looks darker."

"I didn't think I looked darker," he frowned.

"Your weak human eyesight probably can't detect it," I teased, but I couldn't keep the smile on my face. "How was it?"

"It was beautiful, Sookie," he sighed, leaning his forehead against mine.

"I wish I could have been there with you."

"That's the point, Sook." His eyes bore into mine, "The people that I would want to share that with can't be there with me when I do. You, my _wife_, can't be there when I'm there."

"But I can!" I sat up, holding his hands in mine when he followed. "I can get Niall to turn me back, Eric, and we can go out into the sunlight every fucking day!"

"We'll _die_, Sookie! You'll grow old and I'll lose you."

"But we can be _alive_ for years before that happens!"

"Not this again," he seethed, getting out of bed.

"Eric, please, I'm begging you," I got out of bed after him, following him into the living room. "Please, it's the one thing that I'm asking you to do for me, baby, please."

"What do you want me to do?!" He yelled, spinning around to face me, "You think I don't want to have a an actual life and a child with you, Sookie? You think it's easy to deny you this one thing that you've always wanted? I would give you anything, Sookie, _anything_. I'd give up everything I have, I'd do anything you told me to do, I would fucking die for you." His anger suddenly drained out of him. "I _would _die for you, but asking me to support you and let you choose a path that can only end in your death is just cruel, Sookie." I turned away from him, slapping my hand on my mouth when I felt the sobs try to escape. He was behind me in a second, his warm arms encircling my waist. "Don't," he begged, "I love you."

"I know," I wept, turning in his arms and letting him warm me with his vitality.

"Why can't you just want a new car!" He complained unhappily, "I can get you a new car or a new dress. I can even find you a new husband!"

I laughed bitterly, "I don't want anyone else."

"I'm glad, lover," he murmured, kissing my neck, "Turn me?"

"No," I looked up at him and continued before he could interrupt, "Go out into the sun. Get a tan, get sexy, fuck me, then I'll turn you."

Eric raised his eyebrows, "You think getting a tan is sexy?"

"Yes. That and you need to be human for at least a week before I let you crawl back into the arms of death."

"Crawl back into the arms of death?" He scoffed, "What have you been reading?"

I grinned, "Nothing."

"Uh huh."

"Hey, you're going to be a newborn vampire, aren't you?"

He shook his head, "Nope. The magical quality of our condition means that I will be just like I was before once you turn me again."

"That's convenient."

"Niall thought so, too." He shrugged.

"But you will be my child," I struggled to keep the grin off of my face.

Eric nodded apprehensively, "Yes."

"Awesome," I grinned.

Eric gulped nervously.

I was still laughing when he kneeled between my legs, busying himself with my clit.

***

"I'm sleepy," Eric sighed into my hair an hour later. "This is ridiculous."

"Then sleep," I smiled, propping myself up on one hand, "I've never seen you asleep." He blinked at me sleepily, his smile strangely sweet.

"Lover..." he murmured, brushing a finger down the side of my face. "Be here when I wake up."

I laughed softly, "Bossy."

"Is that a 'no'?"

I kissed his lips, "I'll be here."

"Promise?"

"Since when do you doubt me?"

"I don't know, everything is different."

I nuzzled his hair, "That is true. But I kinda like it."

"Oh?" He looked at me in amusement.

I shrugged, "Yeah, I mean, I was always the measly little human in the middle of a bunch of vampires, and now it's different. I'm the vampire and you're the human, and I have to admit, I enjoy it. Despite how much of a mess it is." Eric laughed, entirely secure in the idea of me having the power over him for once. He opened his mouth to respond when there was a sudden knock on the door. Eric looked at me expressionlessly.

"It's Bill," I bit my lip.

"How do you know?"

"I can feel the... uh, tenor of his mind."

My husband cocked an eyebrow, watching me as I pulled on a hotel bathrobe, "Damn, you're getting good." I grinned fleetingly.

_'Think we should tell him?' _I asked in my mind as I closed the bedroom door behind me.

_'He knows where I went, doesn't he?'_

'_Yes.'_ I responded apprehensively, making sure to tie the bathrobe in a way that was decent.

'_And you trust him, do you not?'_ His voice echoed softly in my mind, though I could detect the slightest hint of uncertainty in him.

_'Thank you.'_ Bill knocked again and I opened the door, grinning as I threw myself into his arms.

"Hello, sweetheart," he laughed, holding me.

"Hi!" I pulled away from him, smiling. "Come on in. Gimme a second, I just need to go put on some clothes. What brings you here?" I asked as I hurried back into the bedroom, holding back laughter as Eric threw me underwear and pyjamas from my drawer. I heard Bill close the door behind him and I returned back out to the living room, making sure the bedroom door was closed.

"I was just wondering how you were," Bill was saying.

"I'm alright," I smiled, "Can I get you anything to drink?" I pulled a bottle of NuBlood (the brand that had replaced True Blood in the years since the Great Revelation) out of the mini-fridge and held out it out for him to grab.

"Thanks. Heard anything from Eric?"

I sat on the couch and gestured at him to take a seat. "Actually, um, yes." I hugged my knees to my chest and told him about the latest developments regarding my husband. By the end, Bill was sitting there open-mouthed, his fangs tinged with the synthetic blood.

"He's _human_?"

"Yep," Eric responded, emerging from the bedroom dressed in only a pair of sweatpants. Bill, too shocked to hide his surprise, merely gaped at my husband. I smiled at the latter who winked at me and casually walked over to the kitchen, retrieving a bottle of iced coffee from behind all the synthetic blood. I looked at him questioningly.

"I went grocery shopping today," he explained, "It was strange."

"I'm sure," I laughed.

"What are you going to do?" Bill asked, regarding my husband warily.

"She's turning me back," Eric nodded at me.

Bill looked at me, cocking an eyebrow, knowing full well that I didn't want that. I dropped my head, wringing my hands.

_'Lover...'_ Eric chastised, and I sighed, looking up.

"Needless to say, you're required to keep your mouth shut." Eric told Bill coldly.

_'Eric, don't be an ass.'_

_ 'I couldn't help it.'_

_ 'Oh, I know.'_ Eric gave me a sour look, and Bill all but rolled his eyes, shooting me a meaningful look that told me he couldn't care less about Eric's attitude.

"Marie is becoming restless," Bill told us, putting his bottle on the coffee table.

"How do you know?" I asked. Eric sat down behind me on the couch, putting his arms around my waist and pulling me into him.

"Christine called Pam and I, looking for you." He told my husband.

"Why didn't she call me?" I pulled myself out of the happy fog that the scent of Eric's blood had created in my brain.

The corners of Bill's mouth turned up in the hint of a smile, "She doesn't know you're back in town."

"Right, of course."

"What did you tell her?" Eric asked quietly.

"I told her that you had gone to meet with your wife," Bill sighed, "To inform her of your promotion. We both did."

"Good," Eric murmured, and I nudged him with my mind. My husband sighed, "Thank you." He added awkwardly, and I smiled.

Bill inclined his head to show that it was no problem. "You don't have a lot of time, though. Whatever choices you need to make, you need to make them soon." I turned my head to glance at Eric. "Unless you plan on telling the queen." Bill continued uncertainly.

"No," Eric's tone was firm. "I won't have her know about my weakness at a time when so much depends on my age and strength."

"Are you sure you will be back to your old self once I-"

"Yes." There was no doubt in his voice and I nodded.

"I will let Pam know?" His tone made it a question, and Eric shook his head.

"No, I will tell her myself."

My friend nodded, "Alright. Do you need anything from me?" He got up from the couch, and I copied him, hearing Eric follow me.

"No," I smiled, "Thank you for dropping by. And for covering for us."

Bill smiled his sly smile, "It was no problem."

"I'll see you later," he leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek and nodded at my husband. "Eric."

"Bill," my husband acknowledged. I walked Bill to the door, closing the door behind him before turning back to face Eric.

"I had forgotten that you were going to be king," I murmured, walking into his arms.

"Will you be my queen?" I looked up at him.

"Eric, I don't know." I sighed softly, and he looked hurt for a full second.

"I don't understand," he admitted.

"We haven't talked, Eric," I mumbled, "We've just fucked like rabbits since you've been back, and I can't let what happened go until we talk, alright?"

"Sometimes, I hate you a little bit for making me fall in love with you." He whispered, almost to himself. I cupped his face in mine.

"Did you know I hated you?" I asked him quietly, "You were so different from every vision I had had about my future husband. Fuck, _Bill_ seemed like a likelier candidate than you did, with all your luggage and your ego. Your need to control everything without giving a shit about how I felt." Eric's eyes hardened, and I brushed my thumbs across his eyebrows. "And I hated that I loved you so much, that you made me so _fucking_ happy without even trying. Why did you make me so happy, Eric?"

Eric smiled sadly, "Don't I still?"

I chuckled but ignored his comment, choosing instead to lean my forehead against him, smiling when he pressed his lips against my temple. "Why didn't you try to find her?" I asked quietly.

"After I turned her?"

"Yes."

"I thought she was dead." He shrugged, "I hoped she was, after I met you."

"Why would she be?"

"Most newborns don't make it without guidance." Eric told me simply, "Especially back when we lived in the shadows, pretended not to exist. In order to survive, Runa would have had to make all the right decisions: never stay in the same place for long, learn to cover her tracks, learn to trap her prey, know how to take care of herself and stay out of the sun. Sookie, the odds of her surviving were slim to none, please understand that." I looked up at him, putting my arms around his shoulders.

"Well, why did you leave her in the first place?"

"I changed her when I was very young," He was staring at a random point over my shoulder, but glanced at me before continuing, "My maker would have made things very unpleasant for me if he ever found out that I had turned another, but I didn't care. I just wanted her alive... or rather, not dead." He paused here, chuckling to himself as he went on, "So I turned her and then abandoned her. It wasn't until later that I realized how low her chances were, that I had most likely sentenced her to a very tragic final death."

"But you had to know she was live!" I exclaimed, "Can't you feel it when your child dies?"

"Only if you are attuned to them, to their existence," He shook his head, "I would know if Pam died, and I would definitely feel it if you did because of our blood-bond, but no, I wouldn't know if Runa did. I might now, but I wouldn't have before seeing her last year."

"And she didn't know you were her maker?" I had to make sure.

"She found out when you did."

"And she told you she loves you," I said without a shred of doubt in my voice.

Eric paused, "Yes, she did."

"And then you kissed her."

"She kissed me!" He objected quickly, "I pulled away."

"Right," I allowed, "Was this before or after you told her you loved her?"

"Before," My husband mumbled, "But I didn't mean it that way. Sookie, you would have been able to tell if I had loved her in the way that I love you."

"You went to her first after the Vegas war," I pointed out drily.

"I knew you were okay," He pleaded, "I knew you were fine, I checked the bond! And then I looked over and saw you with Bill and assumed-"

"That what? That I didn't care if_ you_ were?"

"I told you that nothing would happen to me! Before we got there, I told you."

"And I told _you_ that I was still worried! I was worried about you because I didn't have the presence of mind to check the bond, and you thought it was okay to help your ex before finding me."

"It was a stupid mistake, Sookie."

"No, the kiss was a stupid mistake; that was just insensitive." I snapped with venom in my voice.

"I don't care about her that way," he insisted stubbornly after a moment.

"So what you feel about her is entirely platonic?" I asked with a hint of scorn.

"Yes." His gaze was steady.

"You're still an idiot."

"I know." He sighed, but brightened when he saw my faint smile.

I looked down at my feet, stepping back from him as my smile faded, "You didn't come after me, either,"

"You told me not to," His voice was quiet, but I could hear the confusion in it.

I chuckled, "Yeah, I did."

Eric bent his head in an attempt at catching my gaze, "Did you want me to?"

"I don't know what I wanted you to do."

"You women," He sighed tragically, "Always wanting us men to do something, when even you yourselves admit you have clue what you want." I smiled and shook my head. "Too soon?" He asked.

"A little."

"Sorry," he pouted and looked down, though he looked up at me through his lashes. I had to smile at the way he was looking at me, and he relaxed slightly, putting his arms back around my waist.

"Sookie," his face sobered and he leaned down until we were at the same eye-level, "Even if you chose right now to walk away from me, even if you found you could never truly forgive me, I would love you until the day that I die, whenever that may be."

"Who said I'm never going to forgive you?" I asked with a small smile before it disappeared. He smiled and pressed a soft kiss against my temple but the effect was somewhat ruined by the fact that he was barely suppressing a yawn. I laughed, "Come on, let's get you into bed."

"Ooooh," he leered.

"To sleep!" I smacked his shoulder.

"Oh, that's less fun." I took his hand and led him to the bedroom where we crawled under the covers. Eric rolled on top of me, his head tucked against my neck. I brushed my fingers up and down his back, smiling at the smooth skin and the outline of his muscles.

"You're warming me," I cooed. He made a sleepy noise, and that was when the sun rose and I fell asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Hah. Six pages. Also, I started OMDB exactly six months ago on the 27th, and there's only one chapter left!! W00t.

Anyways, please let me know what you thought of it! Reviews are so very much appreciated!

* * *

I watched Eric rummage through the fridge and retrieve a sandwich, unwrapping it cautiously and taking an experimental bite, chewing carefully before swallowing and studying the contents before taking another experimental bite and repeating the process all over again.

"It won't bite, you know," I smiled gently from where I was leaning against the bedroom door. Eric jumped a foot and choked a little at the sound of my voice. "You okay, there?" I stepped uncertainly towards him.

"I didn't see you standing there," he smiled sheepishly.

"I just got up," I explained, still watching him. My husband's skin was darker, having taken on a golden sheen that made his hair look lighter than it would have with his vampire pallor, and he smelled faintly of pollution and sweat and his usual cologne. He had lost a bit of weight due to his tendency to forget about needing to eat over the past week or so, and so his shirt hung a little more loosely on his still-formidable frame. "What did you do today?" I asked, curling up on the couch as he did the same, plopping down beside me still nibbling on his sandwich.

"I went for a run," he frowned as if still perplexed by the concept of 'physical activity'. Not that it mattered anymore anyways; humans had somehow managed to create pills that made them lose weight and build muscle, but there were still those who resorted to conventional forms of staying fit. I smiled and he continued. "It tired me out, though. And I was out of breath."

"You don't say?"

He missed the sarcasm in my tone, "I know! It was shocking. I had forgotten how weak humans are."

"Did you remember to have lunch?"

"I ordered room service," he gestured absently at the door.

"Did you like it?"

Eric shrugged, "It tasted funny."

" 'Funny' as in 'not blood' or 'funny' as in ' bad food'?"

" 'Funny' as in..." he shrugged, "Funny. I don't know, 'not blood', I guess. It was still good. It's always good, just..."

"Different?" I supplied and he smiled.

"Yes," he put down his dinner and pulled me closer into his arms, "I missed you, lover. I had never thought about how long you would need to be asleep."

"You'll get used to it," I tapped the tip of his nose lightly and he crinkled it. "Your breath smells like food," I grinned, brushing his mouth with my lips.

"Sorry," he smirked and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. I followed him after a moment, coming up behind him to kiss his shoulder.

"I was going to take a shower," my hands slid to his abdomen under his shirt, "Care to join me?" Eric turned, grinning devilishly. "Kiss me," I whispered and he obeyed, though not before pulling my shirt off. We undressed quickly, Eric carrying me into the shower and letting me turn on the water, making sure that it was warm enough for him.

"You have a tan line," I giggled when he pulled me close again, my hands tracing the line across his hips.

"I couldn't run naked," he sighed in mock disappointment.

"I would have paid to see you run naked outside," I murmured against the corner of his mouth and he laughed, moving us into the direct stream of hot water. His hands travelled up and down my body in a sort of frenzy, rubbing and squeezing as I returned the favour. My fangs having already clicked out, I grazed them against his skin and he moaned, pressing me into the cold tiles. He hitched his leg up on a low ledge in the shower and threw mine over his before pushing in slowly, looking pleased as I moaned and banged my head against the wall. He chuckled and claimed my mouth, licking at my fangs as he established a fast rhythm. My mouth travelled down to his neck, my sucking kisses asking for his permission, which he granted with a groan. I bit, sucking hard enough that a small trickle of his blood found its way into my mouth in an attempt at prolonging the process. He made a restless noise and ground into me even harder, his thrusts more frantic. My hand travelled down to his ass, pushing him in firmly as I sucked one last time and licked the wound closed. He gasped my name, his heart beating erratically in his chest, and I tilted my hips to get more friction.

"_Eric,Eric,Eric,_" I whimpered as I felt my climax approaching, letting him speed up and throwing my head back, fully prepared to beg him should he slow down.

"You're so fucking tight," he hissed in my ear. "Come for me, Sookie, I want you to come for me." He ground into me one last night and I arched my back, making a small noise as the orgasm wracked my body with its aftershocks. He came then, too, cursing as he climaxed inside of me and jerked. His foot returned to the floor, and he leaned into me wordlessly. Resting my head against the wall, I closed my eyes and smiled at the sound of his breathing against my cold skin, my hands stroking his broad back.

"You would think that at some point, the sex would stop being mind-blowing," he mumbled with his eyes still closed, and I laughed, tightening my arms around his waist.

"Are you complaining?" I teased.

Eric opened his eyes and nodded at me quite seriously, "I'm so tired of having a great sex life. God, make it _end_!"

"I know what you mean," I nodded, "I am so tired of having orgasms. I want shitty sex."

"Oh god, it hurts to even joke about it," Eric laughed, bending down to kiss my shoulder.

"I used to call sex with you Gourmet Sex," I smiled, reaching for the bottle of shampoo.

My husband grinned, light dancing in his eyes even as I started washing his hair, "That sounds about right." I flicked some of the frothy shampoo into his eyes and he laughed, turning to let the water wash it away.

"Sookie?" He asked quietly a few hours later, his head resting in my lap.

"Yes?"

"It's been a week."

"It's been six days," I corrected softly and he sat up.

"It's been a week," he insisted. Potato, po-tuh-to.

"I don't want to kill you," I sighed down at my clasped hands, watching the light reflect off of my wedding band.

"Not this again, Sook." His sigh was out of frustration.

"How did you do it?" I asked, "How did you do it with me?"

Eric looked at me wordlessly for a moment before responding, "I told myself that if it meant your immortality, then I would do it."

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what my life would be like without Eric... and failed. After living with him for hundreds of years, the quarter-century that I had spent without him as a human seemed incredibly... bland. Eric, with his incredible zest for life and mischievous blue eyes that had set my world on fire, was the only reason why I had clung to my humanity after all these years. I opened my eyes and met his hopeful gaze, my eyes flicking down to where I could almost discern his artery throbbing against his neck. Taking a deep breath that I didn't need, I moved closer to him and rested my hands at the base of his neck, feeling him tense in anticipation.

"I love the taste of your blood," I told him quietly, mesmerized by the way his body vibrated with the beat of his heart. He smiled, almost anxiously. "Now?" I met his eyes once again and found him nodding. I returned to his neck, pressing my lips against his warm skin and closing my eyes when the faint scent of his blood reached me. I hesitated before striking, my teeth tearing into his skin, and Eric screamed. The sound reverberated through my entire body and shocked me, but I couldn't pull back... that is, until I fell off the bed.

***

I lay on the floor, looking up the ceiling with wide eyes. It was a dream. It was a dream? It was all a dream? Eric wasn't human; Niall probably didn't even have the power to change a vampire back, but the belief that he could had sparked enough hope in me that I found tears streaming down the sides of my face at the loss of it. I bolted upright when I heard a knock at the door and hurried to open it, grateful that I was wearing a tank top and shorts instead of just underwear. I swung the door open and threw myself in the arms of the man standing on the other side.

"Eric," I whispered into his neck, feeling his surprise get replaced by warmth and happiness.

"Hello, lover," he kissed my hair, his arms tightening around my waist.

"Are you okay? Are you healed?" I wasn't willing to pull away to look at his face yet, so I asked his shoulder.

"Perfectly healed." I released him, beaming.

"That's great, Eric." My husband inclined his head and then held out the bouquet he had been clasping in his hands; the one I had somehow managed to not notice until now. "Sunflowers?" I chuckled softly.

"As thanks, for getting your great grandfather to... help me." I studied him for a second, seeing how hard it had been for him to, in thanking me, admit that he had been helpless.

"They're beautiful, Eric. Thank you." Smiling, I invited him in. Bringing me flowers was a strangely touching gesture, and I found myself thinking about the human Eric in my dream going outside and seeing flowers as they are meant to be seen.

"Actually," he broke into my thoughts, "I was going to ask if you wanted to go for a walk."

"I'd love to. Just let me put these in water and get dressed?" He inclined his head again. "Great. Have a seat." I quickly found a vase in one of the cabinets, filling it with water and placing the bouquet in the water. It must have cost a fortune, I thought. Everything that grew in the dirt got more expensive as the years went on because the rising amounts of pollution made them harder and harder to grow. "Did you want something to drink? I think I have some Royalty..."

"No, thanks," He shook his head.

"Okay, well, I'll only be a minute then."

"Sure you will," he muttered under his breath and I threw a couch cushion at him, Eric himself laughing as he ducked. I did my best to hurry as I got dressed, slipping on jeans and a v-neck shirt. I did my make-up and contemplated my hair, deciding at last to leave it down in the loose waves it had dried into. I emerged not fifteen minutes later.

"That was fast," Eric commented without a hint of sarcasm, and I grinned.

"See, I told you so."

"Yes, you did." He stood up and kissed me chastely on the cheek. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," I put on a pair of ballet flats and followed him out the door, shutting it behind me.

We were out in the crisp spring evening within minutes. We walked in silence for a long time, meandering aimlessly through the streets of Shreveport as hovercars zoomed by and more stars appeared in the sky. At some point, his hand crept over and held mine, and we kept walking. Reaching a small playground, we stopped. Safety cushioning had long since replaced the gravel from my human days and elastic safety straps dangled desolately from the swings.

"Jesus, what is the fun of being strapped to a swing?? Do kids even get scrapes anymore or is that too dangerous these days?" I grumbled.

"I think scrapes can cause infections," Eric frowned.

"A tiny scrape won't do anything!" I scoffed at the soft material covering the ground. "It builds character."

"Not if they don't live long enough for it to heal." Eric pointed out. "There's superbugs that can kill them these days. We aren't even the scariest things anymore."

"Is that- Are you pouting?"

"No!" He responded too quickly.

"You totally are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Eric gave me a dirty look but his smile softened the effect.

"We need to talk."

"We are talking."

"Sookie."

"I... don't know, Eric." Our clasped hands no longer felt comfortable, the previously casual action suddenly strained and awkward.

"What are you saying?"

"Two hundred years. I mean, wasn't that enough?" Eric let go of my hand and settled himself on the swing, crossing his legs and clasping his hands in his lap. A single red light switched on when he didn't buckle himself in, and it slowly began blinking as we ignored it.

I looked around, hoping for some sort of answer, "What, what are you doing?"

"Then walk away," He told me without a hint of anger. "If two hundred years was enough, if you changed your mind about 'forever', then walk away, Sookie. No hard feelings, I promise." He held up his hands to show me how little he would blame me.

"I- that's not fair, Eric."

"Isn't it?" He cocked his head. "I'm not yelling, I'm not guilt-tripping you. I'm not making it any harder than it needs to be. If you want to walk away, I don't want you to stay."

I bit my lip and then sat down on the swing next to his; another red light turned on and began blinking lazily.

Eric let out a breath, "Thank you."

"You were bluffing."

"Yes, yes I was." He said without any shame at all, winking at me.

I smiled, but it faded quickly, "Why didn't you try to find her?"

Eric appeared surprised, "After I turned her?" His words triggered something in my mind; had I asked him that before? Were those his exact words from my dream?

"Yes." I responded hesitantly.

"I thought she was dead." He began slowly and then shrugged, "I hoped she was, after I met you."

"Eric..."

"What?"

"We... I dreamed that we talked, and I- you are saying the exact same things. You're responding the exact same way."

Eric gaped at me, "You dreamed that we talked?"

"Yeah," I nodded slowly. Eric considered that for a moment, the perplexed look suddenly replaced with amusement as he burst out laughing. "What? _What?_"

"Sookie, we had the conversation in our minds! We spoke telepathically while we were asleep!"

It was my turn to gape. "You had the same dream?" A nod. "Wait, were you even back yesterday?"

Eric shook his head, "No, I was still in Lunea."

"We contacted... through realms?" He nodded, still smiling. "That's... incredible, Eric."

"I know," he shook his head in disbelief, then looked up at me. "You forgave me." His voice was soft.

"I suppose I did," I mused.

"Come on," he stood and took my hand again after a moment, "I'll walk you back to the hotel."

I hopped off, scowling as the red light continued blinking. "Come," Eric repeated with a laugh and led me away. We walked back to the hotel the same way that we had walked to the part: in silence, our hands clasped.

"Good evening, Ms. Stackhouse." The automated doorman greeted me as we stepped into the lobby, Eric having followed me wordlessly.

"'Ms. Stackhouse'?" He questioned quietly as we waited for the elevator.

"Yes." I responded, not knowing what else to say.

"I wasn't aware that you had changed your name." The doors slid open and he followed me inside, watching as I pressed the right button.

I bit my lip, "It's easier to go by my maiden name. It made me feel better about myself in the beginning."

"Because you knew it would hurt me?"

I looked up at him, surprised that he would admit it, and then nodded, "Yes."

"Fair enough." The elevator slowed and the doors opened, Eric gesturing at me to go ahead. I hurried down the hall, stopping at the door of my suite to press my thumb into the small black panel. My fingerprint identified, the door clicked open and we entered. I draped my jacket over the back of the leather couch.

"Hey, do you want to see what I was going to give you for your birthday-slash-Christmas?" I asked suddenly; I had long ago picked December 25th as Eric's birthday, seeing as how he didn't remember his actual one.

"Yes," he nodded after a moment, "I would love to."

"Okay," I headed into the bedroom of the suite and emerged a second later with the large wooden case I had left in a private safety deposit box when I had left Louisiana.

"What is it?" Eric asked curiously as I placed it carefully on the coffee table.

"You'll see," I murmured absently as I ran a hand over the unadorned wood. "Come here," I waved him over to where I was now kneeling by the table. "Open it yourself." Eric obeyed, kneeling beside me and giving me a long look before unlatching the case and opening it. Inside, lying on a bed of silk, was a round wooden shield. An iron boss adorned the front and a single leather strap lined the edges of the surprisingly thin wood: it was less than an inch thick. The wood was weathered, chipped here and there, but was clearly only lightly used. It was in surprisingly excellent condition considering its age, and that had made the considerable price, at the very least, triple.

"Wh-" Eric shook his head slowly, gaping at the shield, "Sookie, how...?"

"They found it at some dig near Oslo a while ago," I told him quietly, "I found it at an auction in Vegas, while you were at a meeting, and I thought you might- I mean, it seemed like something you would want."

"Sookie, you found an authentic... _Viking_ shield! This," His fingers grazed the wood reverently, "This must have cost you a _fortune_!"

"I was saving up for something," I shrugged, "Nothing specific; just in case I needed some money."

"I don't know what to say," he whispered, his eyes still glued to his present.

"Well, go on," I told him, "Have a look." He tore his gaze away from the shield and looked at me, as if seeking permission, and I nodded encouragingly. Gently, he lifted the shield up, holding it with both hands as if afraid it would crumble right then and there. He faced it away from him and clasped the iron handgrip.

"I used to cut my hands on these things," He murmured, "It's a bitch to hold on to, but comfort wasn't exactly high on the list of features a shield needed to have."

"What was yours like?" I asked, my voice lowered, "I mean, did it look something like this?"

"The one I trained with as a young boy was smaller, but the one I had as a grown man was about this big. And mine was heavier, too, but Sookie, this..." He shook his head, "You can't imagine what this means to me."

"I'm glad you like it," I smiled quietly and he looked at me carefully, as if realizing something.

"I fucked up really badly, didn't I?" He asked suddenly, and I didn't have to ask what he was talking about.

"What do you think?" I asked, my smile widening, though my heart wasn't in it.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that."

"But I am."

"I don't need your words, Eric," I reached out and touched his face, "Words don't fix anything."

Eric contemplated that, placing the shield back in its case as he did, "Then give me the time to make it right."

"This is your time," I smiled.

He contemplated that. "So, if words don't work, does that mean that actions will?" He asked eventually, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

I pretended to give that some thought, "Hmm, maybe."

His lips were suddenly crushed against mine, my hands cupping his face before pushing off his leather jacket. "Good, because I missed you so much."

"I missed you," I sighed, breaking the kiss to press my lips to his neck. We were both naked within seconds, our clothes strewn about the hotel room, freeing us to stumble to the bed. We didn't speak anymore, and there was no sound other than soft moans and whispered curses as we entangled, making love for the first time in what felt like ages. Afterwards, I closed my eyes and smiled at the feel of Eric's head resting on my chest as he sprawled on top of me. A moment later he moved down in the bed, kissing my stomach.

"Come home, Sookie," he murmured between kisses, "Come back home." I sat up carefully and trapped his face in my hands.

"Not yet, okay?" I stroked his hair, "Not just yet. Soon, though."

"Will you be my queen?" He asked quietly, the look in his eyes almost vulnerable. I studied him for a long time, carefully gauging his expression before responding.

"I'd be honoured to."


	20. Epilogue

_**Over My Dead Body**_** by PersianFreak**

**Companion to **_**Happily Never After**_

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M

A/N: Thanks to everybody who stuck with me and everybody who reviewed; you guys make my life! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Any last comments are very much welcome =]

Note: 'Mina Älskare' means 'my lover' and 'Min Älskade' means 'my beloved' in Swedish, according to the Babylon online translator. I'm trusting the internet on this one :P

* * *

My velvet dress hung down my body in thick folds, the fabric shimmering lightly in the light. My hair was gathered simply at the back of my head, tendrils of it framing my face where I stood beside Eric. My husband was dressed in a hooded, royal blue cloak and black dress pants, his chest bare and his own hair gathered in a low ponytail. His hand had given mine a squeeze when Queen Marie Gerard had stepped in front of us on an elevated section of the stage and set down on the mahogany table separating us a roll of parchment, which she had then unrolled and secured with two ornately-designed gold paperweights. Christine, the Queen's second-in-command, had added a matching dagger and goblet to the table and stepped back so that she was standing to the right of her Queen as the later began speaking. She spoke serenely of her long reign and of the state of Louisiana, the control of which she was now passing down to Eric in the best interests of the state. Eric and I listened just as quietly as the crowd seated behind us, all of us caught up in the significance of the event which we were now witnessing. The event of which I was a part, I corrected myself.

"Sookie Northman," Marie's voice dragged me out of my thoughts, "In signing this document, you will be pledging your loyalty to your King and therefore the state of Louisiana, her people, her land and her wealth. Are you willing?"

"I am willing," I responded, feeling the bond swell just a little bit as I bent down to sign the document. Marie smiled at me, majestic in her royal blue gown. I felt slightly dazed at the prospect of what I had just signed on to, but I steadied myself with a shaky breath that I didn't need and I felt Eric force a wave of warmth through the bond. The soon-to-be-ex-queen of Louisiana turned her gaze to my husband.

"Eric Northman, in signing this document you will be pledging your loyalty to the great state of Louisiana; in doing so promising to safe-keep her people, her land and her wealth. This is not a decision to be made lightly for this is not a job for the weak, nor is it one for the cowardly. It requires great strength, courage and above all, a deeply ingrained loyalty. Are you willing?"

"I am willing." Eric's voice was calm and even, his blue eyes blazing as he bent down to sign the document. A petite vampire stepped onto the stage then, her green eyes trained on Marie as she stepped forward: the personification of Louisiana. The presence of the citizen of Louisiana in addition to the old ruler and the new rulers completed the triangle and allowed for the blood ceremony to be underway. Marie took the vampire's hand and held it over the goblet, quickly slicing the wrist and squeezing to increase the amount of the blood flowing into the goblet. The vampire selected to represent the people of Louisiana bowed once her wrist had healed and watched as Marie slashed my wrist and then Eric's, adding her own blood to the mix last. The drinking of the blood was symbolic in that it signified mine and Eric's undying loyalty to each other as well as to Marie and the state of Louisiana. Flaring my nostrils, I inhaled the spicy sweet scent of our blood and drank, holding back a smile at the wonderful warmth of the blood of the two others mixed in with my husband's. Following Eric's movements as he lifted the goblet to his mouth to ingest the remainder of the contents, I took in the way his throat moved when he swallowed and let my fangs click out, grateful that they had a reason other than arousal to be extended. Exchanging blood was always arousing and something that Eric and I committed during lovemaking, so it definitely wasn't helping my focus. Thankfully, however, the ceremony was at an end.

"I wish you a long and prosperous reign, King Northman and Queen Northman," Marie smiled and we turned in tandem to face the massive hall and its occupants. "Long live the King!"

***

I was desperately grateful for the small amount of time we had before having to return downstairs to the massive ballroom of the hotel, and so was my libido. In our hotel suite, Eric's fingers carefully unzipped my dress and draped it over a chair while I busied myself with the task of unfastening his cloak and pants.

"Wanted you all night," I moaned as Eric's mouth began sucking on my neck and shoulders.

"Turn around, Sook," he breathed and I obeyed, groaning when he pressed me against the wall and pushed in. His one hand reached between the wall and my body to touch me from the front while he pounded into me from the back, his fangs scraping my shoulder. The hand I had braced on the wall entangled with the fingers of his free hand and I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut. His thrusts were fast and relentless, his cock filling me so completely that it left me gasping and arching against him.

"Bite me," I hissed.

"Feisty," he chuckled without letting his rhythm falter.

"Eric," my voice broke like a sob and he bit into my shoulder, drawing with such intensity that I climaxed. Eric's movement slowed before pulling out entirely and gently nudging me to face him. I hitched one leg over his hip, mind still fuzzy with pleasure and let out a noise when he entered me again. There was less urgency in his thrusts now and I saw that he had changed his mind, choosing to enjoy himself a while before letting his climax hit him. Lowering my head to his neck, I nipped and scratched his skin with my fangs and felt him shudder, rhythm faltering momentarily.

"Darling." That was all the encouragement I needed to sink my fangs into his neck, closing my eyes at the smooth, rich taste of his blood on my tongue. Somehow, his blood in me triggered another orgasm and we came simultaneously, my mouth being claimed by his in a kiss filled with love and want. I whimpered at the aftershocks and slid down the wall. Eric, sliding down with me, turned and rested his back against my chest and we stayed there with my arms around his shoulders and his head tucked under mine. Still entirely blissed out, I giggled.

"What's so funny?" He asked and reached for my hands.

"Long live the King, Eric."

I could tell he was grinning as he kissed both of my hands before saying, "Long live the Queen, min Sookie."

***

I moved back home after we came back from Vegas.

It was as if I had never left.

The closet was still filled with all the clothes I hadn't taken with me, and the drawers I had emptied out had remained so. All my other belongings were left untouched, though I noticed the smaller things like my favourite blood flavour and shampoo weren't left; Eric, after all, had never been one for sentiment. In a rare moment of romanticism, Eric got down on one knee and returned my wedding ring to my finger, smiling charmingly as he slid my skirt off and didn't return to his feet until he had achieved what he had set out to achieve.

Even my position at work was left vacant for me and so it didn't take long before I reassumed all my previous responsibilities, much to the relief of Pam who had been forced to take over my job for me while I had been away.

One of the few things that was new, that we both had to get used to, was the security guards that were now stationed all over the property and the high fence that was being built around it, seeing as how we had refused to move from the house we had renovated repeatedly over the past few hundred years in order to avoid doing so.

The other novelty was the fact that there was simply no way Eric could run a bar on top of all his duties as king, and so he was forced to leave Fangtasia to Pam, who appeared pleased to be trusted with Eric's baby. A compound had been constructed on the outer edges of Shreveport in anticipation for Eric's climb to the throne and it was now housing our offices and other rooms catering to all the needs of the king. All glass and steel and imposing image on the exterior, the interior was decorated with Persian rugs and vases that were far too fancy for my tastes but were required to uphold Eric's reputation. Eric and I's offices were connected through an inconspicuous inner door, and additionally mine led to a light-tight, sound-proof, hundred percent impregnable day room that we could spend the day (and parts of the night, Eric never failed to remind me) in. Security at the compound was also in place, complete with metal detectors and various other forms of machinery that I could not bring myself to be interested in, though they kept Eric entertained for days. I watched Eric tinker with his new laptop (wafer-thin, voice-activated and practically telepathic) and smiled, loving the childish glint in his eyes and feeling my heart lighten.

And so I was finally home.

I had missed Eric with every fibre of my being and I was thrilled to have him back, though a part of me feared that there was more Eric was hiding despite his constant assurances that Runa's existence was the only thing he had kept from me. I decided that I couldn't go my whole life distrusting the love of my life, that he had made a mistake and hurt me but also that I could find it in me to more than just forgive him; I could trust him again.

"Something wrong with the photo?" Eric asked one night, placing his hands on my hips. I had been staring at a framed photo of our wedding day hanging on our bedroom wall and now I leaned back into Eric, smiling. Neither one of us had remembered posing for this particular photo, which had led me to believe that it was just a random affectionate moment captured by our lucky photographer while we had been absorbed in each other. Though the photo was a close-up on our faces, I could tell I was kneeling behind Eric with my arms around his shoulders. In the black-and-white image I was kissing his cheek, my long lashes looking strangely dark against my pale skin while Eric's eyes were open as he looked down serenely at a point to his left. I adored that photo, not only because Eric and I both looked fantastic in it but also because in that one frame, our relationship appeared perfect. Eric looked calm and blissful while I appeared simply... in love. It's how I always wished our marriage could be: simple, without any vampire bullshit as I was so fond of calling it.

"Do you remember it?"

"What, our wedding?" Eric chuckled in my ear and then kissed it.

"Yeah."

"Of course I do."

I hesitated for a moment, "Were you happy?"

"Still am, dear one."

I smiled, "Do you think we still look like that?"

"Yes."

"I didn't mean physically."

"I know."

I twisted my neck around to look at him and found him smiling. Turning my entire body, I hid my face against his neck and stayed there, wordlessly breathing him in. He felt warm to me. That was the thing about vampires: if you are one, other vampires feel warm to you while humans feel hot, so Eric felt good to me. Good and familiar like home. That last thought slipped away from me into the bond and Eric made a small pleased noise, eliciting a smile from me.

"I feel like _home_?" He whispered.

"Yeah, like the one thing that I always want to run back to, no matter where I am." I whispered back.

Eric's mouth pressed into my neck, "Well, I'm glad you ran back to me, lover."

"You understand why I had to leave, right?" I met his gaze.

"I know why, but it doesn't make sense to me," he admitted.

"You understand why I was mad though?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Because I hid the truth from you for two hundred years, lied to you for a week, and then kissed the subject of my dishonesty?" He raised a brow and I looked away, scoffing.

"I hate that she kissed you; I _hate_ it." I seethed into his shoulder, "Why should I be so jealous when we've been married for this long?"

"Because I'm such a catch?" Eric suggested with a smile.

"No, that _can't_ be it," I shook my head with a straight face.

"Harsh words, Mrs Northman." He stepped forward to pin me against the wall, careful to avoid the picture frame. Nuzzling my jaw, he let his words wash over me through the bond.

_ 'I love you above all others, Min Älskade. It has always been you I have loved, and it will always be you. That is never going to change.'_ I bowed my head, resting my hands on his chest.

"When I was human, when I was in love with you and couldn't say it, all I wanted to hear was you saying that you loved me." My thumb brushed over the base of his neck and I glanced up to make sure he was listening, "But sometimes that's not enough, Eric. Sometimes, you need to do more than just say 'I love you'. I know you love me and you know I feel the same way. That has never been a problem with us. Chemistry has always been the thing we're good at. Now we just need to work on the marriage thing." I paused, struggling with the overwhelming feeling that I was being overdramatic, that I was being far too... _human_. I hadn't been human in hundreds of years; I missed mortality, as strange as it sounded. I missed the light-heartedness that accompanied knowing death was inevitable. Immortality seemed to make everything so much harder than it had to be. "We can do that, right? I mean, it's ridiculous to think we maintained a healthy relationship for centuries without working at it so we _were_ doing it right, we just... lost sight. Both of us."

"We can work on it," he inclined his head and smiled at the back of my hand, his lips brushing over my wedding band. "Not doing so is not an option."

***

Two weeks later, Eric strode into my office and dropped a folder in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked, raising my eyebrow and hesitantly peeking inside.

"It's a profile, on a Johan Zelmerlöw." He told me curtly and leaned on the mahogany desk, watching me study the photo snapped of the vampire, as the file informed me he was.

I looked up at my husband, "You have a twin I don't know about?"

Frowning, Eric tilted his head to look at the photo, "You really think we look so alike? His jaw is somewhat bigger and his eyes aren't quite as-"

"Eric." I interrupted and his expression sobered.

"No, I'm not related to him in any way that matters." I returned to the file. '_Turned: 1796 A.D. in Stockholm_ '

"What about in a way that doesn't matter?" I inquired absently and kept on reading, freezing when I read the next line. '_Maker: Runa Paulsen'._ I gasped and looked to Eric for some further explanation and received a grim look.

"It's her child, the one who worked for Lougheed, the one who tipped us off about the attack in Vegas." Eric paused and something dangerous flashed in his eyes. "And the one who glamoured a human to attack me."

At some point during my hundreds of years of existence, the vampires had discovered a substance similar to what the fairies used to mask their scents and it had quickly become a favourite of criminals and assassins all over the world, though the human population was mostly thankfully unaware of such a thing. The absolute lack of a scent in Eric's office after he had been attacked had led us to believe it had been used by a human for the attack, seeing as how vampires couldn't have awakened during the day and no Were would risk getting on the wrong side of such a powerful vampire. Despite all we had guessed, we still couldn't decide under whose orders a human would commit such a crime, but now it seemed our questions were answered.

"You banished Runa," I stated quietly, "so she sent her child?" Eric nodded grimly.

"It seems that way."

"I thought she loved you," I frowned. "Eric, why would she do that?"

"I don't know." His voice was calm, controlled, but nearly three centuries of knowing him allowed me to recognize the underlying strain to his voice, the carefully-contained hurt and confusion at the reality of his once-lover turning against him.

"What are you going to do?" I suppressed the rage at this woman whose very existence had nearly ruined my marriage before she decided to make an attempt at murdering my husband and her ex-husband.

"The human will die," he told me with a chillingly casual gesture. "So will this... Johan. I haven't made a decision about Runa yet."

"Spare the human," I argued and his eyes flicked down to mine. "Whoever it was, they were probably glamoured; they had no say in the matter."

"Just the human?" Eric raised a brow, "You aren't going to tell me to spare them all? That it's violent and unnecessary?"

I looked down at my lap, "I have killed in self-defence before. I would kill for your safety and somebody jeopardized that..." I drifted off and met his eyes, catching them softening as he kneeled in front of me in his grey designer suit. Brushing a hand against my cheekbone, he spoke again.

"What about Runa?" He murmured, "What would you have me do, lover?" I took his hand in mine and looked at the silver-coloured ring on his finger.

"She's your ex-wife, Eric," I smiled sadly. "She's your Child. You're her Maker, I... It's really not any of my business."

"You are my Queen and my wife."

"And your Child," I pointed out and he shook his head.

"Wife first, Child as an afterthought," he corrected me and leaned into my touch when I ran my hand through the wheat-coloured strands of his hair.

"Treat her..." I sighed and gathered my thoughts, "like she didn't almost tear us apart. And don't do anything to her that will hurt you." He raised a brow and I continued. "I know you care about her. I just don't want you to feel obligated to do anything harsher than you feel comfortable with just because of me."

"She has proven her very existence hazardous to mine." He pointed out and I rolled my eyes.

"You can handle her. _We _can handle her. She doesn't need to be dead for us to be safe and you know that."

He considered that for a moment before nodding, "I will think about it."

"Good." I smiled.

Eric nodded solemnly, lips turning up in an approximation of a smile. "And I assume you prefer to not know exactly what I choose to do with Johan?"

I smiled and nodded in agreement, "Exactly."

"This denial is not good for our marriage, Mina Älskare," he told me with a smirk. "We shouldn't be keeping secrets from each other."

"Oh yeah?" I raised a brow and brushed my thumb against the skin at the base of his neck. "We're so lucky that you're so well-versed in the art of maintaining a long-term relationship."

"Where would we be without me, I know." He nodded, his face breaking into a grin at my incredulous expression.

***

So that was done with.

Eric and I were okay again, Eric's attacker was apprehended and Runa and Johan "taken care of", though I was unclear on exactly how they were taken care of, nor did I want to know. But I never saw or heard either one of them again.

Later, we would learn that Marie's people had approved Johan Zelmerlow's move to Louisiana in return for his services to us, a fact that made Eric laugh until I feared about his sanity. When he finally managed to get a hold on himself, he shook his head and muttered something in Old Norse before walking away.

The next time Niall visited, I hesitantly asked him about the possibility of him turning a vampire back to human, but he told me that it could not be, that nobody had the power to even attempt such a thing. This was as I had expected and I moved on, once again climbing back into that place where I could accept that I would never see the sunlight, never have a child with Eric, an acceptance that brought much relief to my husband.

That's when I finally understood that my happy ending had its flaws.

To my own ever-lasting surprise, I was absolutely okay with that.


End file.
